Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood presented their new band, The Smile, during a surprise appearance at Glastonbury’s Live at Worthy Farm webcast on Saturday.
Also featuring jazz drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet, Matthew Herbert), The Smile only revealed their existence hours before the livestream officially kicked off. The group’s name is derived from a Ted Hughes poem.
The Smile began their Glastonbury set by performing the unreleased Radiohead song “Skirting On The Surface” before debuting seven entirely new compositions. According to a setlist shared by the band’s Twitter account, song titles included “You Will Never Work in Television Again”, “Panavision”, “Just Eyes and Mouth”, and “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings”.
Stylistically, The Smile’s sound incorporates elements of post-punk, proto-punk, and math rock. Fans of Radiohead have not heard such noisy guitar-centric rock since Hail to the Thief.
Introducing the band mid-way through their set, Yorke said, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are called ‘The Smile.’ Not the smile as in ‘ahh!’, more ‘the smile’ as in, the guy who lies to you every day…”
The Smile’s set can be replayed here (tickets are priced at $27.50), while select clips are are embedded below.
As of now, the group has not shared any details on future plans.
In case you missed it, you can catch it again today @glastonbury pic.twitter.com/N9t4M43lor
— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) May 23, 2021
The Smile, @thomyorke and @JnnyG new band. This is insane! Sounds so good I’m so happy right now pic.twitter.com/M7D7yRX43I
— el ooglioo (@oooglioo) May 23, 2021
— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) May 23, 2021
