Jonny Greenwood admits he “felt like a clumsy guitar player and was always lazy” in Radiohead’s early days

Jonny Greenwood has admitted that he “felt like a clumsy guitar player and was always lazy” in the early days of Radiohead.

The guitarist, who joined the band in 1985, spoke to the Independent about his evolving relationship with the guitar.

“I will sit and play guitar every day now,” he told the outlet. “It’s funny. It’s something I kind of never wanted to do. I used to distrust any sort of fluidity and think that was somehow part of that thing of technical playing. But now I just feel different about it. And it feels lucky that my fingers do these things.

“I’ve got a certain facility with it, so I’ve decided to accept it, and have realised that I really love playing the guitar,” he added.

Greenwood went on to say that “in the early days of Radiohead I always felt like a clumsy guitar player and was always lazy”.

“Now, just through repetition, I’ve got hooked,” he concluded. “I’ve just got addicted and want to play all the time.”

Recently, Radiohead announced a string of new tour dates in Australia and Japan. 

The Oxford group reunited to tour the UK and Europe last year, which marked their first shows since 2018. Playing in the round in five different cities, Radiohead stopped by London’s O2 for four nights.

In March, guitarist Ed O’Brien shared the band’s plans to hit the road again in 2027 and beyond. “What we’re going to do is, every year we’re going to do a different continent, and we’re going to do 20 shows each year. No more, no less,” he said at the time.

Now, the band will play 21 shows next year, set to take place in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, followed by a run in Saitama, Japan. Tickets can only be purchased by signing up on Radiohead’s website, which you can do so here. Check out all tour dates below:

Radiohead’s 2027 tour dates are:

MAY
3 – RAC Arena, Perth
4 – RAC Arena, Perth
6 – RAC Arena, Perth
7 – RAC Arena, Perth
13 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
14 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
16 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
17 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
19 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
20 – Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
25 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney
26 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney
28 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney
29 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney
31 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney

JUNE
1 – Afterpay Arena, Sydney
8 – GMO Arena Saitama
9 – GMO Arena Saitama
11 – GMO Arena Saitama
12 – GMO Arena Saitama
13 – GMO Arena Saitama

Despite news of their touring plans, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien has told NME that the band “have not even talked about another record”.

We asked the guitarist if the tour could encourage the band to write their next album, to which he responded, laughing: “Where did you get this idea that there’s another Radiohead record?”

“I know it’s so funny and it comes from a good place,” he added. “People want to hear another Radiohead record. I can’t even imagine it because we’ve not even talked about another record. I think that’s because the last record [‘A Moon Shaped Pool‘] was so fucking awful to make! The tale of that record is so fucking dark. It casts a long shadow. Maybe ask me in six years time!”

Elsewhere, Jonny Greenwood has said he’s “surprised” Radiohead enjoyed their comeback tour so much and talked chances of new material from the band.