Chris Douridas: "Phil Selway, Colin Greenwood, Ed O' Brien, Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke collectively known as Radiohead from the album The Bends which is in stores today from Capitol records 'High & Dry'. I'm Chris Douridas on 'Morning Becomes Eclectic' on KCRW, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood appear tonight on Tower Sunset which is in store acoustic performance starts about 11 o'clock I couldn't remember the exact time.

Thom: "It's actually gonna be the whole band.

Chris: "Is it really the whole band?

Thom: "Yeah the whole band's here and we're gonna do…um yeah.

Chris: "Okay, obviously my information was a little…

Thom: "Yeah well we couldn't decide then we decide no we'd have do the whole band. It's much more fun that way.

Chris: "And how come the whole band is not on this morning, sleeping in

Thom: "They're sleeping, you know, we're the only mugs. [laughs]

Chris: "Well it's good to see you guys anyhow and thanks for joining us this morning.

Thom: "Pleasure.

Chris: "Well, it'll be interesting to see how the band fairs in a store..

Thom: "In a record shop yes [laughs]

Chris: "Do you do that very often with the whole band?

Jonny: "Never.

Thom: "We try not to make a habit out of it.

Jonny: "Did it once in Paris and then there was old people coming out of the street complaining.

Chris: "The album is called The Bends and when I look at the cover I almost get 'em because just the look of the cover , is it somebody who's suffering from the bends on the cover?

Thom: "No…well it's kinda of a dummy figure that I took and treated and played around with the colors so on. It's kinda difficult to explain really.

Chris: "Well a title like that it makes me think there's sort of paralysis that happened in the making of the record.

Thom: "There was.[laughs]

Chris: "There was?

Thom: "There was…um it was a difficult record to make for a lot of reasons. One of the reasons was 'Creep' obviously and the endless touring and the fact that we've been playing an album that was essentially 3 years old and everyone was basically writing us off as the band that did that song and um…well a lot of people were so we had to come with an album that we weren't. And there was so much pressure in us.

Chris: "That's a double-edged sword, isn't it? I heard time and again from a band that comes along and is doing some great work and then they have one song that maybe a format might latch on to.

Thom: "Yeah exactly.

Chris: "And they're drilling that song into the ground and you know it's a double-edged sword for the band and the label. A label is often very scared of a format latching on to it what might be a novelty on the sorts.

Thom: "Exactly.Yeah, I mean, it wasn't a novelty song but just a very good one. No, I think more to the point it was difficult to know where we stood, you know, I mean we came back into America, where did we land? Settle . We played a show in Settle, we didn't know whether anybody could still remember who we were, you know, it's that sort of feeling cause when you have a hit with that sort of song so, you know, the song is much bigger than the band. And, there' also…we're quite paranoid about the way we're gonna be taken.

Chris: "That's very interesting what you just said that the song was bigger than the band.

Thom: "Oh yeah well it was

Jonny: "Definitely.

Thom: "Oh hello!

Jonny: "I'm loud, aren't I?

Thom: "[laughs]

Chris: "Well I guess it gets to a point where when you go to a shoe even though you want to leave the last record behind and play all new stuff you can't do that, can you?

Jonny: "Well it's bizarre, there's this MTV audience that's go to see live shows to see Creep and then they'd go. We'd get people to stop at the door say, you know,' Why did you do this, do you hate the rest of the band?' and that said' Well no we do this to all bands, we do this to Nirvana we just like the video and go and see the song live and leave'.

Chris: "Wow.

Jonny: "There was like 10 people at every show.

Thom: "The word 'mindless' springs to mind.

Chris: "That's unbelievable, I didn't realise that was actually happening.

Thom: "Yeah it was.

Chris: "So you would say that this is partly due to video television, music television?

Thom: "Yeah, it's…

Jonny: "It's weird, I mean, it's good in a way cause they'd never go and see a live show normally.

Chris: "Sure.

Jonny: "Maybe it's a good way in.

Thom: "We're coming back this time and in some ways….we made what we think is a brilliant record and we're kind of ready to start from scratch again really because we know that the rest is…can you say bullshit on the radio? Well anyway I just did.

Jonny: "No expectations.

Chris: "Well, when you pulled yourself out of this paralysis that you're speaking of, what was it that catapulted you? The creativity? The songs that started coming, that sorta thing?

Thom: "The songs were being written as we went along, the songs didn't stop coming. The paralysis was really being paranoid about what people would think of them rather than anything else. So the creativity came from a confidence in the songs again, you know, we'd basically lost all our confidence by the time we hit the studio the first time and then the songs came through despite us being paranoid about it…so um the creativity came from the fact that the songs were good.

Chris: "Yeah and then you have to come to a point where you realize that it doesn't matter what everybody else thinks .

Thom: "Yeah which is a very difficult…you'd be surprised how difficult that is really.

Chris: "Well congratulations.

Thom: "Thanks. [laughs]

Chris: "Um obviously you pulled it off. We're gonna head into an acoustic set, this is a song from the album, right?

Jonny: "That's right we're gonna do a song called 'Street Spirit'.

Chris: "'Street Spirit' fantastic. It's Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood in live performance on KCRW. The new album is called 'The Bends" it's in stores today.

[Play Street Spirit]

Chris: "It's Radiohead's Thom Yorke (on vocals and guitar) and Jonny Greenwood (on guitar). That's from the new release ' The Bends' which is in stores today on Capitol Records, we heard a live acoustic performance here in the studio 'Street Spirit' is the name of the song. Thanks for doing that, I know you were concerned about the high range.

Thom: "Yeah, you know, I think I've just woken up I'm extremely sugary cup of coffee and I'm alright.

Chris: "Yeah I really appreciate you taking this time, it really sounds nice over here. You guys all come from Oxford, England right? I understand to go to high school together everybody has pretty much known everybody 10 years or something.

Jonny: "That's not correct. We're quite a board age range.

Chris: "You the youngest aren't you ,Jonny?

Jonny: "Yeah, I was kinda basically following my brother around begging to let me in the band since I had short trousers on.

Thom: "[laughs]

Jonny: "Finally they let me after playing about three or four instruments. They said learn this instrument so I learned how to play the keyboards and they said 'No we don't like keyboards'…and harmonica.

Thom: "Yeah, actually that was my fault and then he came to rehearsals with a guitar and he could play already play better than me so we had to let him play really.

Chris: "How much older is Colin than you?

Jonny: "Colin's like two and a half years older than me and Ed is a year older then Colin, Phil's two years older than Colin.

Thom: "Actually we better say hello to them cause they're all probably getting up now so 'Hello everyone get up'.

Chris: "Well how'd you guys come together as band if you were all various ages?

Thom: "It's just we were all at school and bumped into each other…and I'd been in this band and it was horrible, the drummer had a huge ego and used to throw sticks around so I thought I had to form my own band really.

Chris: "So you've been playing as Radiohead for how long?

Jonny: "For three years.

Thom: "Well yeah…

Jonny: "But we've been writing and rehearsing for about five or six.

Chris: "Did you have names before Radiohead?

Thom: "We did yes.

Jonny: "A whole gamut.

Thom: "A gamut?

Jonny: "A plethora. Many, many names.

Thom: "A plethora of names.

Chris: "Do any come to mind?

Thom: "[laughs]

Jonny: "Most of them are awful.

Chris: "Any good one that you should share we us?

Jonny: "'Music' was my favorite.

Thom: "We were gonna be called 'Music'.

Chris: "Just 'Music'?

Jonny: "Yep my idea, with a Greek 'u' but that was extremely pretentious

Thom: "Oh god and then what? The 'k' at the end.

Jonny: "Someone's done it already.

Chris: "Music with a 'k'?

Jonny: "No with a 'u' with Greek lettering.

Thom: "Oh god.

Jonny: "Wouldn't that be pretentious?

Thom: "Yeah. We also…uh…

Jonny: "We've had lots of bad names.

Thom: "Yeah terrible ideas.

Chris: "I guess a bad topic. Well, Radiohead is an interesting name as well.

Thom: "It was actually just a pathetic attempt to get on the radio really.

Jonny: "Was it?

Thom: "Yeah.

Chris: "Well you know actually Tom Waits said that, you know, there's a song on his 'Bone Machine' album I think it talks about…oh "In the Colosseum" . He goes 'if a put coliseum, I'll end up playing in a coliseum ' kinda if you put 'radio' in a song , it's played on the radio.

Thom: "Yeah. It didn't work.

Chris: "Didn't work? [laughs]

Thom: "Yeah.

Jonny: "Until today.

Chris: "It worked for you guys.

Thom: "Kind of.

Chris: "I guess this next one is…is this Bulletproof?

Jonny: "We're gonna do the new one.

Thom: "The new one, do the new one first?

Jonny: "Yeah.

Thom: "Um…ok. [laughs]

Jonny: "Never been played before.

Thom: "Never been played before and the working title is ' Subterranean Homesick Alien'.

Chris: "And you guys are still working this out as we did the soundcheck here.

Jonny: "Yeah so don't expect too much. [laughs]

Thom: "[laughs]

Chris: "So this is actually a premiere then?

Thom: "Yeah, this is indulgence sorry.

Chris: "Okay, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead live on KCRW.

[Play Subterranean Homesick Alien']

Chris: "It's Radiohead, Thom Yorke (on vocal and guitar work), Jonny Greenwood ( on guitar) it's the two of them acoustic here in the studios at KCRW a song called ' Subterranean Homesick Alien'. That's the first time that's been heard so..um…there's your premiere.

Thom: "Yes.

Chris: "Sounds good, I mean, are you writing all the time? Is this something that's brand new?

Thom: "Yeah, is a bodily function for us.

Jonny: "Yeah, this is part of the frustration from last year was that we had tapes of all the new songs for ages and ages but never had the chance to record them we actually went for one stretch of touring for one year and a half without having one rehearsal but was playing every night which is really bizarre for us, couldn't even get 10 minutes just for our own amusement just for the shows.

Thom: "We were a jukebox.

Chris: "Yeah, you know, a lot of bands speak to that concern and that problem. 'James' , the band, really had problem with that. That's why they cracked three albums in the last

Jonny: "Yeah exactly.

Chris: "You know cause they just wanted get it out when they record it and not have to wait for the artwork, marketing….

Thom: "Yeah.

Jonny: "Plus we had, when we were at school, we'd never play a concert we'd also just rehearse and write songs we played two or three concerts a year maybe we just real had a big change of role.

Thom: "There's a danger to that though, if you keep spewing stuff out, you know, no one's doing a selection. There's two sides to the argument, I'd hate to think that we got in a situation like Prince where we insisted on releasing four albums a year. Well anyway we wouldn't, would we? I'm not saying all the songs are brilliant by any means.

Chris: "It's a balance, you have to get it out there, you have let people know and focus the world on a worthy album and that sort of thing and then be on with it.

Thom: "Yeah exactly.

Chris: "We should mention that you will be joined by the rest of the band members.

Thom: "Exactly.

Chris: "Tonight at Tower Sunset, I'd get there by 11 o' clock cause I think you guys will be on at about 11: 30.

Jonny: "Eleven I think

Thom: "It's near eleven, I don't know, I'm not sure but there'll be lots of amplifiers.

Chris: "So if you can’t get in maybe just stand outside the door…

Thom: "Hopefully.

Chris: "That's at Tower Sunset tonight all of Radiohead in a full band performance. We're hearing an acoustic set this morning and this is actually yet another song from the album.

Thom: "Yeah, I think it's gonna be Bulletproof. Alright, this is a song called 'Bulletproof… (I Wish I Was)'.

Chris: "It's Radiohead, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood in the studio.

[Play 'Bulletproof… (I Wish I Was) ']

Chris: "'Bulletproof… (I Wish I Was) '

Thom: [laughs]

Chris: "It's Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood the two from Radiohead, the album is called The Bends and it's in stores today and we're hearing an acoustic performance hear in the studio. That song you'll find in the new release in fact the entire band is doing an in store performance, get there by 10: 45 and you won’t miss it. This is an album that you, by the way, dedicated to a guy called Bill Hicks.

Thom: "Yeah.

Chris: "Who I don't know much about.

Thom: "He's a comedian who died last year I don't really know that much about him. I know that in Britain, a couple a days after he did, Channel 4 one of the TV stations in Britain did a documentary on him and it had a really big effect on me. I saw, I think it was in the middle of when we were doing the album, he was a man that had just an incredible amount of energy and conviction and strong beliefs and with all that managed to be incredibly funny as well.

Chris: "So where was he from?

Thom: "I'm not sure whether it was Canada or America actually, I have to admit my ignorance. Really the dedication was simply because of that energy and that conviction and it's such a shame that he died he had so much more to give I think.

Chris: "Hmm...so it's essentially his conviction to creativity the greater spirit.

Thom: "Yeah, I think if people sort of saw some of it they'd sorta understand why I love him so much.

Chris: "Well it certainly makes want to know more.

Thom: "Yeah that's was kind of point I think. [laughs]

Chris: "I'll search it out. We're gonna go out with a song that, from my understanding, is really speaking about the concerns you voiced early about everybody latching on 'Creep'. I'm talking about ' My Iron Lung'.

Thom: "It was, hopefully it wasn't just that, the grey area that I was having a the time difficult between writing a song about being a rock star which is probably the most boring subject in the world and actually writing something that means something to everybody.

Chris: "Well that's the trick, isn't it? To write in a universal context.

Thom: "Yeah.

Chris: "I really appreciate you guys taking the time to come here this morning.

Jonny: "Thank you Chris, it's been the most fun session we've done in ages.

Thom: "Yes it has.

Chris: "Gets you up early too.

Thom: "Yeah, thank you very much [laughs]

Chris: "Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood from Radiohead, the album is called The Bends it's in stores today. They'll be in store tonight at Tower Sunset, thanks guys.