Radiohead's Ed O'Brien on the Band's Writing Process, His Favourite Guitars & More -BIMM Masterclass

[Music] please welcome mr. Ed O'Brien thank you first of all very much for coming along I like being amongst young musicians great it's a good it's a good vibe so right it's a pleasure to be here so can you take us back to the journey from being a schoolmates and then to getting the band signed one of the really important things that we did was we dreamt it all up we said what we're going to do is when we get the deal we're going to buy van because and we're going to talk because that's where we build up because our favorite bands did and then we would say in there and then when we've got enough money we'll buy our own studio and I all happened and it's interesting because I've been really interested in you know in the science of the mind you know positive thinking you know what they do in a lot of with athletes as well they that you run that race before you run it and you run it emotionally and I really I mean obviously don't know but I really subscribe to this light daydreaming is great we were massive 89 so do little the Pixies record had come out and that's a that's a big record for us massive record for us what's the template they're quiet versus loud choruses and that's what we started doing what's the big song that breaks that summer smells like teen spirit Nirvana what's their template quite verse loud chorus where did they get it from they got it from the Pixies that was a complete when we heard that's like that's a Pixies so what then happens record companies like the majors like oh we want some of this which is a traditional thing and we were making the right sound at the right time and you know there you go so when you guys are writing if you can sort of give us a heads up about the way you approach it you know Tom's very much the main songwriter but what I think what we like is the fact that everybody brings something you know no one writes your own part if you don't have a part you don't play you know that kind of thing there's no sort of that it's not in a charity which at times can be a little bit kind of you know but but it keeps you on your toes because Tom writes all the lyrics he sings them he's the main songwriter but it's very much it goes through the filter think it slightly changes partly because of limitations I mean I think the band you know we do have limitations but I think those limitations are a strength it's a very difficult question obviously for any guitar Potosi or what is your favorite guitar but do you have a favorite it's a one that you ago - is it yeah I did torrent I dunno I've got a strap that I've been developing with fender so the first three records are Rickenbacker and strat and then you know flush with a little bit of success support 335 lovely old 335 and and I've even got a Les Paul and stuff like that and but I think really what I've been trying to get back to is that idea of one guitar that you know really well and I've got a guitar that I'm developing with fender it's a strap but it's also got a sustainer I've been using a sustainer for years clicks I'm really excited to see what you know the likes of some of you guys would do with it any successful band or artist whatever you wanna call the ones that are sensible they'll get good advice usually end up having limited companies I have one myself you know it makes good fiscal sense and you know so has that been useful to you and has it has that focused you as well that is so important Elvis used to call it taking care of business TCO be you have to I've seen so many bands come unstuck that means you get the best lawyer and you can defer payment like we are first our first contract we had was the management contract we went to John Kennedy Nitin who's the best lawyer at the time we deferred payment until we signed a record deal all these things you get the best counsel I knee and yeah you you take care of business no shortcuts like see he started with a plan like back and the other night he's if it was now a 2016 really had to starting out again would you still have the plan of getting the van and doing the tour yeah think so different I think getting the van was good you don't cement that we saved money on renting you know we don't we didn't have to renovate all the time but we'd signed you know and we had an agent it wasn't we weren't getting a van and we didn't have any gigs we were okay this is our intention this is what we want to do I know that looking about we were very are so committed when you utterly love something there's no question whether you're committed or not I just wondered how the process how you go through the process of recreating those sounds live because I imagine you're responsible for a lot of the pretty dynamic stuff in the sound scapes you create turtles pedals lots had more pedals on one of the tracks on moon shaped pool it was very very orchestral and so one of the things that I have to do is my guitar line and the thing that I'm playing the sound I'm playing is trying to play that line but it what's fun about it is that it's more like a blues riff it's like me blues riffing which is we've never sort of done that in Radiohead and and that's the that's that's kind of fun and so it's also when you do stuff live you've got to you've got to distill it to its core constituents and it's been a real pleasure talking to you thank you very very much for coming along you're capable of extraordinary things be great because you can be great ok but that involves work focus and you know and feeling it through but you can be great so good luck I've really enjoyed it I think he was great guy here the love incitement stuff to say yeah it was interesting hearing from one of your heroes what to do how to approach certain things and stuff like that it was really good dad probably introduced me to them when I was 8 9 I guess listen to the I think the Benz was the first one I heard and yeah it's been a long time fun he was very heavy on just how to feel like I'm more playing and making sure everything feels right for you and what you're playing so I guess that's the main thing as opposed to kind of technique and this kind of thing is just more about the the more physical side of actually doing it

Channel: BIMM Music Institute

Views: 228,471

Keywords: Music Music Education BIMM BIMM Group Study Music Musician, ed o'brien, radiohead, bimm, uk music, interview, music, guitar

Id: ZUAtPfDHAGk

Length: 7min 14sec (434 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 16 2016