Jonny Greenwood Talks In Rainbows
Gothamist: What's motivating the band to distribute the album this way?
Jonny Greenwood: Just getting it out quickly. It was kind of an experiment as well; we were just doing it for ourselves and that was all. People are making a big thing about it being against the industry or trying to change things for people but it's really not what motivated us to do it. It's more about feeling like it was right for us and feeling bored of what we were doing before.
Gothamist: Why give people the option to pay whatever they want?
Greenwood: It's just interesting to make people pause for even a few seconds and think about what music is worth now. I thought it was an interesting thing to ask people to do and compare it to whatever else in their lives they value or don't value.
Gothamist: Have you gotten any figures of how much people are choosing to pay?
Greenwood: No we get the numbers tomorrow supposedly. Yeah, I don't know. The more exciting thing for me is just hearing it on the radio today and knowing it's landed on everybody's desk at the same time. That's what's exciting. But yeah, I'm sure our manager will have some idea soon.
Gothamist: How did the process of making In Rainbows differ from Hail to the Thief?
Greenwood: It was more like earlier Kid A stuff, more based in studio experiments and trying out ideas and spending quite a long time. That's what we did with Kid A and Amnesiac.
Gothamist: What song on the album proved most difficult to finish?
Greenwood: Even ones that we finished quickly we spent a long time deciding if they were good enough. None of them were easy, actually. "Reckoner" kind of came together quickly.
Beyond that, Greenwood also revealed that he's yet to start work on the commissioned piece that comes as part of his BBC British Composer Awards victory ("Thanks for reminding me, I must start something soon on that.") and that he likely won't be attending the U.S. premiere of Popcorn Superhet Receiver this coming January in New York City.
Oh, also: Radiohead hope to tour in 2008!!!
Greenwood also spoke with RollingStone.com's Rock&Roll Daily blog today and said more or less exactly the same things, sometimes word-for-word. One new topic he did touch upon, however, is the touchy subject of the 160 kbps In Rainbows mp3s. Justified Jonny: "We talked about it and we just wanted to make it a bit better than iTunes, which it is, so that's kind of good enough, really. It's never going to be CD quality, because that's what CD does."
In related news, since the In Rainbows download didn't come with album art, folks have started making their own. Here's our favorite so far:
Recent News
Today's Other Headlines
- Manu Dibango Sues Rihanna, Michael Jackson
- Pete Doherty to Teach College Kids All He Knows
- News in Brief: Wichita Recordings, Hot Leg, Murder City Devils, Thank You/Mi Ami
- Photos: Tibet House Benefit (Vampire Weekend, the National, Patti Smith) [New York, NY; 02/03/09]
- Lily Allen Announces North American Tour
Most Read News
- The Pitchfork Guide to Summer Festivals 2008
- The Pitchfork Guide to Upcoming Releases: Summer '08
- My Bloody Valentine Lead Unfuckingbelievable Lineup for New York All Tomorrow's Parties Fest
- Is This Really the New Weezer Album Cover?
- Dear God, Please Let This Be the Lil Wayne Album Cover
- My Bloody Valentine Announce North American Tour!
- Tom Waits Reveals "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Sigur Ros Line Up Summer Tour Dates
- Coldplay Reveal Viva la Vida Tracklist
- Sigur Rós Announce Full North American Tour
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Saturday]
- Wolf Parade March Out New LP Tracklist
- Photos: Sasquatch! Festival [Monday] (NSFW)
- Beck Announces Summer Tour
- Wolf Parade Announce Summer Tour
- Sonic Youth Reveal Starbucks Hits Comp Details
- Photos: Bonnaroo [Thursday/Friday]
- Sigur Ros Sneak Peeks of New Album, Expand Tour
- Pitchfork's Guide to Record Store Day
- Radiohead, Live Nation Respond to Virginia Washout
- Peter Hook Talks New Order Split, DVD, Joy Division
- Ian Curtis' Gravestone Stolen
- Was Bonnaroo Really M.I.A.'s "Last Gig Ever"?
- Tom Waits Extends "Glitter and Doom" Tour
- Pitchfork Festival: Set Times Revealed! Tix Going Fast!
- The New Mogwai Album Tracklist Is Amazing
- Wolf Parade Join the 2008 Cover Art Hall of Fame
- The Conor Oberst Album Cover Is Dreamy
- Built to Spill Reveal Full-Blown Perfect Tour
- Crystal Castles Caught Up in Artwork Controversy
- Photos: Radiohead [West Palm Beach, FL; 05/05/08]
- Girl Talk's Feed the Animals Available Now!
- Radiohead Use Fancy Technology in Camera-Free Video
- The New Mogwai Album Cover Is Disappointing
- My Morning Jacket Announce Lengthy American Tour
- Weezer Reveal "Red Album" Tracklist, Bonus Cuts
- The National Design T-Shirt for Obama
- Arcade Fire Scoring Donnie Darko Dude's New Movie
- Josh Homme Defends Himself: "Homophobic? I'm in Queens of the Stone Age for Crissake"
- Radiohead, Prince at Odds Over Blocked YouTube Vids
- Radiohead to Go "Green" on "Conan O'Brien"
- Feist Does "1234" on "Sesame Street", Adds Dates
- Radiohead, Interpol, Pornos Fete Independents Day
- R. Kelly Not Guilty!!!!
- Crystal Castles Respond to Chip Music Controversy
- Kanye West Responds to Bonnaroo Haters
- Wanna Open for Coldplay?
- Sub Pop Announces 20th Anniversary Bash
- Bob Dylan Big Ups Barack Obama
- OiNK Users Apparently Arrested by British Police