"We
came together with the purpose of starting a band rather than,
'we're friends let's start a band' so in a way, it was already
set up in a musical, professional kind of way." Looking somewhat
reminiscent as he says this, Philip Selway, the talented drummer
from Radiohead, unearths the roots of the band back in the day.
Eighteen years, numerous albums, and much success later, the band
has unveiled KID A, an amazing yet atypical album for Radiohead.
And although their critically acclaimed work may seem challenging
to follow up consistently, Radiohead has managed to do not only
that, but to overcome the fate of so many bands splitting like
atoms these days.
At first listen, the techno-inspired and manipulated sounds of
the songs on KID A may seem so different from the albums that
had predeceased it, but when digging deeper the essence of Radiohead
comes through... and the need to not be pigeonholed into a particular
sound. But many devoted fans experienced quite some shock especially
if they expected KID A to be anything like OK Computer. Often
though, the key to success in the long-run is in reinvention and
Radiohead has become a musical chameleon. The catalyst for this
change, luckily, was a unanimous decision which did not lead to
dissension in the group and to the fate of bands such as the Smashing
Pumpkins. Phil describes the feeling that led to this change as
a desire for evolution from the fact that Radiohead had always
considered themselves to be working as a high school band. "It
was a group decision to actually try to break away from any ways
that had become quite set for us in the past. We were a high school
band... and up until the end of OK Computer I think we were working
pretty much in the same ways as when we started. Musically, and
from the kind of dynamic between the five of us as well, we just
found that it really wasn't appropriate to where we stopped OK
Computer. In a way, it felt almost as if we had backed ourselves
into a corner, to a certain extent."
Radiohead
began fiddling around in a brand new studio and toying with different
ideas long before the record companies had any ideas as to what
the album would sound like. "The record company didn't really
hear anything until quite later on in the process which is probably
a good thing because they would have panicked about it otherwise.
They had a very hands off approach and said come back to us when
you've got something you're starting to feel happy with. That was
the perfect approach to take, really." Slowly the pieces of
KID A were falling into place. The band had collectively agreed
to move into a new direction and the record companies were offering
support. But sometimes it is the finer points that can become challenging.
The work that went into this album appears effortless, as the band
produces yet another acclaimable piece, but appearances can be deceiving.
"That's not spontaneous. An awful lot of work got us to that
point and at points it really wasn't coming together." Selway
recalls the creation process which spanned almost one year as sometimes
being difficult especially with five individuals who are self-proclaimed
thinkers, falling into the trap of often thinking too much. Although
quite unreproachable, this led to some delay. "We put off making
decisions. We didn't have any deadlines at all... in order to work
in the studio and to write the material, we had to manage ourselves
in a way we had never done before." Working in a creative medium
can be quite a daunting task and ironically, Radiohead resorted
to a more systematic and somewhat corporate approach to getting
what they wanted done. "There was a definite feeling among
all six of us in the studio that it was about the right time to
actually commit to something. We started everyday with our group
meeting...where we'd sit down and say this is what we're going to
work on today.... I mean we never ended up doing what we said in
the meeting, but it's good to have that kind of focus." Apparently
creating critically acclaimed music entails more than what we see
in the final product. From the start to finish, the process becomes
a journey with obstacles. But the key is to remember that these
various points in the road need to be viewed as challenges not as
problems. " A lot of issues between the five of us had been
simmering.... there had been so many things which accumulated over
14-15 years of being together and which we hadn't been able to address
until last year maybe because we didn't have the wherewithal within
ourselves to do it.... and very little space to rock the boat. But
I think we gave ourselves the space to do it..... it was a very
necessary process to establish a new relationship between the five
of us."
When you look around, statistics everywhere will tell you conflict
is abound. The divorce rate is nearly fifty percent, gang violence
is a pertinent problem, and every path is constructed to by-pass
true problem-solving. So you begin to wonder if it is some kind
of unusual occurrence that five band members can collaborate for
so long and not resort to hostility for some reason or another,
especially within the confines of a workplace. " I think
we're actually quite adept at working through stuff musically
now in the studio," Phil admits.
Art can be a microcosm of life and often the problem-solving techniques
you apply in the music studio can be just as relevant in the real,
unpleasant world. Straight from the life lessons of Radiohead,
Phil offers some priceless advice on solving conflict: "Being
open, being prepared to talk about the issues, but also giving
people their space, respecting people's sensitivities on certain
issues. Direct confrontation, in our case, I don't think cures
an awful lot. That only ever ignites one issue, and obscures all
the other side issues which go around it." So remember that
the next time you think you are alone, inundated by a world of
problems. Life can be quite complicated at times but even rockstars
have to deal with the smaller and more difficult details.
A
review of their Fall 2000 Toronto show
