The Smile surprised fans with an unexpected appearance at a special screening event held at London’s Prince Charles Cinema on Thursday, January 18. During the event, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner discussed their creative process for their upcoming album, ‘Wall Of Eyes,’ and shared insights into their collaboration with director Paul Thomas Anderson. The trio also addressed questions about working at Abbey Road and offered advice for struggling creatives.
The focus of the event was on The Smile’s creative partnership with Anderson. Attendees were treated to the premiere of a silent film featuring behind-the-scenes footage of the band’s second album and the new video for ‘Friend Of A Friend.’ Additionally, the audience enjoyed a full surround sound playback of the upcoming album and screenings of Anderson’s music video for ‘Wall Of Eyes’ and his short film ‘ANIMA,’ created for Thom Yorke, along with selected videos made with Radiohead.
Following the scheduled program, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner took the stage for a Q&A session led by DJ and presenter Edith Bowman. The trio discussed their chemistry and the process behind their highly anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed 2022 debut, ‘A Light For Attracting Attention.’
‘Wall Of Eyes’ was recorded at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, famously associated with The Beatles. When asked about the Beatles’ influence, Yorke humorously mentioned, “We fucking tried not to! I mean, we were in Abbey Road, but it’s like, ‘Let’s not do that, eh?’” Greenwood agreed, acknowledging the touristy aspect of Abbey Road but praised its facilities.
Addressing a question about overcoming anxiety in the creative field, Yorke emphasized the importance of sharing one’s work with others, stating, “You have to share it with other human beings because it’s a form of communication, you know? However you figure out communication, you have to be comfortable doing it. You don’t work for yourself.”
After playing the eight tracks from the album, a hidden orchestral track titled ‘Tiptoe’ was unveiled. The band promised that fan-favorite live tracks like ‘Bodies Laughing,’ ‘Colours Fly,’ and ‘Just Eyes And Mouth’ would eventually be released.
Describing the album’s creation, Yorke compared his lyrical approach to that of a sculptor, saying, “They put stuff up and it doesn’t look right, so they take it down and they just keep doing that over and over again until it looks right.” The band explained their deliberate choice of a large orchestra for the record and the decision to work with producer Sam Petts-Davies instead of their usual collaborator Nigel Godrich.
Reflecting on their chemistry, Skinner emphasized the importance of trust within the band, stating, “That’s been developed over the last five years, and we’ve done quite a lot of playing together.” Yorke added, “Skinner’s got a lot of experience doing lots of very varied stuff, which I felt was very important. He’s got taste calls that we wouldn’t make.”
The trio also shared their favorite Paul Thomas Anderson films, music they’ve been listening to (choosing Steve Reich’s ‘Tehillim’ project), and Yorke’s current favorite author, Benjamín Labatut. Yorke spoke about his joy in creating the album’s artwork, noting, “It was a celebration of something. ‘I can’t believe we do this for a living,’ etc.”
The Smile’s new album, ‘Wall Of Eyes,’ is set to be released on January 26, with plans for a 2024 tour.
