Radiohead have changed approach says Greenwood

Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood says the band have changed their approach to songwriting as they work on their ninth album – but it’s not easy to explain how.

And he reveals they haven’t yet listened back to the work they’ve recorded so far.

The band returned to the studio last year to start the follow-up to 2010’s King Of Limbs. They’ve since taken a break and gather to continue the project next month.

Greenwood tells the Sunday Guardian: “We’ve certainly changed our method again. It’s too involved to explain. We’re kind of limiting ourselves – working in limits. It’s like we’re trying to use very old and very new technology together to see what happens.”

He adds: “We’ve done a couple of months of recording and it’s gone really well. We haven’t listened to anything back yet, so at the moment we’re all very happy. I guess we’re going to go and listen to what we’ve done and see if we were right to be so happy.

“But we left it at a good place when we last stopped.”

The guitarist last week played a show with the London Contemporary Orchestra – playing a guitar that had been returned after being stolen 19 years ago. He also recently completed a three-week project with Indian musician Ben Tzur.

He says of his schedule: “I think it’s good to be a moving target. Just keep moving and you don’t get found out. I think everyone lives in fear of being found out – of being slightly fraudulent and kind of getting away with something. And so it’s good to keep moving; that’s partly why I like to do it.

“It’s been amazing, working with Indian musicians. They have such a different energy and enthusiasm for music. It’s part of life; there’s music everywhere.

“One of the dholak players, he’s 16, and I just sit and watch him play and learn so much from how he thinks about music. He’s amazing.”

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.