So Sick Edits

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood Form New Project the Smile

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood have formed a new project called the Smile along with drummer Tom Skinner and longtime collaborator Nigel Godrich.

Yorke announced the new band Saturday morning, hours before the group was set to make their debut and perform new music during the Glastonbury Festival Presents Live at Worthy Farm livestream, a five-hour event that will also feature performances by Coldplay, Damon Albarn, Haim and more. The Smile is scheduled to perform at 11:05 pm U.K. time.

The Smile appears to be more than a one-off performance as the band has already created a Twitter account and a bare bones website (be sure to read the privacy policy), suggesting there is more to come from the trio.

The project is named after the Ted Hughes poem of the same name; earlier in the week, Yorke shared the poem, without context, on social media.

“We’re truly honored that Thom and Jonny have chosen our livestream event to premiere their brand new project, The Smile,” Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis said in a statement. “Sadly, we are all unable to gather together at Worthy Farm, but alongside sets from other wonderful performers, this has all the makings of a special Glastonbury moment—and one we can broadcast to the world.”

Radiohead have performed at Glastonbury four times (including an unannounced gig in 2011), while Yorke and Greenwood staged a surprise acoustic performance at the fest in 2010. The band last released A Moon Shaped Pool in 2016. Yorke released his solo album Anima in 2019.