Jonny Greenwood, Tom Skinner, Thom Yorke are up against the 'Wall of Eyes.'
Radiohead's Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Sons of Kemet's Tom Skinner, collectively known as the Smile, are getting closer to the Jan. 26 release date for their second studio album, Wall of Eyes. The latest song to be unveiled is "Friend of a Friend" -- the track's skipping, jazz-flecked drum beat, combined with piano and Yorke's falsetto vocal, conjures a starry atmosphere that brings to mind Harry Nilsson's early '70s LPs. The trippy music video, with artwork by Stanley Donwood and animation by Sabrina Nichol,s is a necessary visual companion.
The Smile - Friend of a Friend
The song was premiered onstage in Zagreb, Croatia in May 2022 during the Smile's European tour. According to concertgoers, Yorke revealed it had been written that day, inspired by his lockdown in Italy, hearing people sing to each other from their balconies.
Grammy-winning producer Sam Petts-Davies (Roger Waters, Johnny Marr, Frank Ocean) who is also a frequent collaborator with Yorke, has utilized the warm atmosphere at the legendary Abbey Road Studio to monstrous effect, bringing in the London Contemporary Orchestra and saxophonist/experimental musician Robert Stillman for "A Day In The Life"-like build-up.
Wall of Eyes, On Film
A new experiment in sound and visual presentation is being implemented for the Wall of Eyes release. From January 18 — 25, select independent cinemas around the world will host screenings of Wall of Eyes, on Film which include a one-time-only playback of the album in surround sound, mixed with never-before-seen recording footage, several short films (some being shown in 35 mm presentation), a limited-edition Wall of Eyes cassette, a t-shirt and The Smile 'Zine.
While March tour dates have already been announced, new ones have been added for June and August.
Here are the dates and venues for Wall of Eyes, on Film:
Jan 18th - The Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square, London, UK
Jan 18th - The Village East, Manhattan, New York, US
Jan 19th - Brain Dead Studios, Los Angeles, US
Jan 20th - SangSang Madang Cinema, Seoul, SK (x2 showings)
Jan 20th – Cinema Godard - Fondazione Prada, Milan, IT
Jan 20th – Cine Tonalá, CDMX, MX
Jan 22nd - 190 Cinemas Premium Shinjuku, Tokyo, JP
Jan 22nd - MK2 Quai de Loire, Paris, FR
Jan 23rd - Golden Age Cinema, Sydney, AUS (x2 showings)
Jan 23rd - Eye Filmuseum, Amsterdam, NL
Jan 23rd - Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, UK
Jan 25th - 190 Cinemas Premium Shinjuku, Tokyo, JP
Jan 25th - Kino Intimes, Berlin, DE
The Smile 2024 Tour Dates:
Previously Announced:
Wed 13th March: Copenhagen - K.B. Hallen
Fri 15th March: Brussels - Forest National
Sat 16th March: Amsterdam - AFAS Live
Mon 18th March: Brighton - Brighton CentreTue
19th March: Manchester - O2 ApolloWed
20th March: Glasgow - SEC Armadillo
Fri 22nd March: Birmingham - O2 Academy
Sat 23rd March: London - Alexandra Palace
Newly Announced:
June 8th - Hamburg, Stadtpark Open Air, Germany
June 9th - Cologne Palladium, Germany
June 11th - Berlin, Verti Music Hall, Germany
June 12th - Prague, Forum Karlin, Czechia
June 14th - Belgrade, Hangar, Serbia
June 15th - Pula Arena, Pula, Croatia
June 17th - Bucharest, Arenele Romane, Romania
June 18th - Sofia, Arena Sofia, Bulgaria
June 23rd - Rome, Cavea Auditorium, Roma Summer Fest, Italy
August 13th - Sigulda Castle, Sigulda, Latvia
August 14th - Warsaw, Progresja, Summer Stage, Poland
August 20th - Frankfurt, Jahrunderthalle, Germany
August 21st - Munich, Zenith, Germany
August 22nd - Vienna Open Air Arena, Austria
August 26th - Bordeaux, Krakatoa, France
August 28th - Valencia, Jardins De Viveros, Spain
Tickets for the newly announced shows can be found here.
