EX.797 Ed O'Brien

About this episode

Ed O'Brien discusses his spiritual journey, experiences in Radiohead, and his solo album Blue Morpho.

The Radiohead guitarist talks about finding spirituality, life inside one of the most mythologised (and occasionally polarising) bands of the last 40 years, and his second solo album, Blue Morpho . Ed O'Brien has been a guitarist in Radiohead since the band formed at Abingdon School in the mid '80s, playing a supporting role across a catalogue largely written by Thom Yorke. He comes from a guitar tradition that runs through Johnny Marr, John McGeoch and Will Sergeant—players who serve the music rather than themselves. His second solo record, Blue Morpho , is his most fully realised statement away from the band. The themes running through it are spiritual, in the broadest sense. With anything related to group dynamics or current affairs averted by request, in this RA Exchange, O'Brien speaks with RA ’s Editor Gabe Szatan about a long period of depression during lockdown, the meditation practice that pulled him through it and his deepening interest in devotional music and sound as a physical force, which has fed his subsequent songwriting. He also discusses the wider arc of a life in music: his years at Parlophone, the early Radiohead webcasts, the move from OK Computer to Kid A…

People in this episode

Host: Gabe Szatan

Guest: Ed O'Brien

Topics covered

• spirituality
• music
• depression
• songwriting
• Radiohead
• solo album

Keywords

• Ed O'Brien
• Radiohead
• Blue Morpho
• spirituality
• depression
• music
• songwriting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Radiohead, Parlophone

Books & works: Blue Morpho

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