Thom Yorke has revealed the impact of his ex-wife’s death, as he reveals grief was behind his decision to take a break from Radiohead.
The band – made up of Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Colin Greenwood, Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway – announced last month they will be putting on 20 shows, landing in London for performances in late November.
In anticipation of their new tour, the band has opened up about the decision to take a seven-year-long break.
Speaking to The Times, Thom explained that he personally was dealing with a lot of grief that he hadn’t taken time to deal with when they decided to take a break.
‘I guess the wheels came off a bit, so we had to stop,’ the singer said. ‘There were a lot of elements. The shows felt great, but it was, like, let’s halt now before we walk off this cliff.
‘And I needed to stop anyway,’ he added. ‘Because I hadn’t really given myself time to grieve.’
In December 2016, Rachel Owen, Yorke’s first wife, died from cancer at the age of 48. The couple had recently amicably separated and had two children together, Noah, 24, and Agnes, 21.
‘[My grief] was coming out in ways that made me think, I need to take this away,’ he said.
He added that ‘obviously’ music was a salve, adding: ‘Music can be a way to find meaning in things and the idea of having to stop it, even when it makes sense to, because you’re not well? Even at my lowest point? I can’t.
‘I need something that I can hold on to. But there have been points in my life where I have looked for solace in music and played the piano, but it literally hurts.
‘Physically. The music hurts, because you’re going through trauma.’
Thom and his late ex-wife were together for 23 years after meeting at the University of Exeter, and split amicably in 2015.
In 2019, he opened up about the death of his former partner.
‘I can’t hope to be their mum, but we’re alright. I’m just really proud of them both. It stuns me most days. I can’t believe they’re anything to do with me. They’re just such great people,’ he said of his children on Desert Island Discs.
‘When the kids’ mum died, it was a very difficult period and we went through a lot,’ he added.
‘It was very hard. She suffered a great deal, and my ambition is to make sure that we have come out of it alright, and I hope that’s what’s happening.’
Thom has since married Dajana Roncione, 41, an Italian actress. The pair tied the knot in a Sicilian wedding in 2020 after meeting in 2017, and confirming their relationship in 2019, when Dajana made an appearance in his ANIMA short film.
Radiohead’s latest tour was announced by Philip Selway, just a year after Thom said he ‘really doesn’t give a f***’ if fans want a Radiohead return.
Philip said in the announcement that they had rehearsed the same year Thom made his bold comment.
‘Last year, we got together to rehearse, just for the hell of it. After a seven-year pause, it felt really good to play the songs again and reconnect with a musical identity that has become lodged deep inside all five of us.
‘It also made us want to play some shows together, so we hope you can make it to one of the upcoming dates. For now, it will just be these ones but who knows where this will all lead.’
The tour is set to kick off in Madrid, Spain, on November 4 and conclude in Berlin, Germany, on December 12.
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