Radiohead is forever. Not only do fans of the band feel this way, but even the members of the band themselves feel this in their bones.
Enter, Philip Selway. Philip was the main drummer for Radiohead for years until adding a second drummer with Clive Deamer and current day drummer, Tom Skinner.
Philip has a new solo album coming out called ‘Strange Dance.’ The album has already been getting tons of press and Spin spoke with Philip about his upcoming album as well as his on and off ventures with Radiohead, he said ‘to his knowledge’ Radiohead is still together.
Via Spin: Everyone in the Radiohead camp has been busy — including Thom and Jonny in The Smile. Have you heard their album?
Philip: “Yes, of course! I went to see them earlier [in 2022] when they were doing their initial livestream shows in London. I hadn’t heard the record before that point. I just love the dynamic between them: Thom and Johnny, that was fascinating. Normally, I hear them play and I’m [seated] behind them, so to see it from the other side was fantastic. And then with Tom Skinner, whose drumming is incredible. There’s always these amazing grooves happening — Tom comes from a jazz background and has all those jazz chops. I think there’s a particular dynamic between the five of us [in Radiohead], which I think we’re all so proud of.”
Philip then went deeper into what it takes to be part of a band that just doesn’t quit and what it’s like to be an older musician.
Spin: Describing your new album, you wrote, “One of the things I’ve liked about [it] is it’s me as a 55-year-old not trying to hide that fact.” What exactly do you mean by that? Were you previously self-conscious about making music that reflected your age?
Philip Selway: “Interesting question. I guess part of it [is that] people will know me most for what I’ve done in Radiohead. There’s a very clear idea of what we look like, and for lots of people, that’s probably caught up around [1997’s] OK Computer. A lot of life has happened in the interim. If you’re lucky enough to have 30-odd years [making] a living as a musician, you naturally develop over that time. I wanted to reflect that — not to feel like it was harkening back to a former time. There can be a temptation to mask the aging process in music or any kind of public-facing media. I think that can be a very limiting stance. You need to be confident in where you are.”
