Thom Yorke on a Solo Album That’s “Pretty Fucking Different,” Industry “Arseholes,” and Radiohead’s Return

Thom Yorke gave a raw update on his next solo work while accepting an Ivor Novello Award on Thursday night. Introduced by Harry Styles, who called Radiohead his favorite band, Yorke told NME he is deep into mixing a record made with producer Sam Petts-Davies. The collaboration flows directly from their time together on the Smile albums.

“I’m trying to finish some stuff. It’s a solo thing. I’m trying to figure out what it is,” Yorke said. “I did it with Sam Petts-Davies. It’s been a really fun process and it’s pretty fucking different for me.” He confirmed a track called “Arse-Kissers” and added he’s too immersed to judge the material fully. “I get moments of going, ‘This is good, I like this.’ That’s enough for me.”

The title’s sentiment spilled into his acceptance speech. Yorke tore into the “arseholes” at the top of the industry for hollow gestures and opaque accounting that devalues working musicians. He warned that without a sustainable model, the pipeline of catalogues and culture will collapse. “Just remember,” he told the room, “without us, you ain’t shit.”

Yorke also spoke to BBC6 about Radiohead’s European run last fall. He described the experience as overwhelming in the best possible way, singling out a Monday night in Berlin. “20,000 Berlin hipsters. It was like, ‘I will never forget this moment.’ It was so cool, man.” He framed the tour as both exhausting and deeply clarifying, hinting with a smirk that a repeat isn’t off the table.