FLEXIBLE THINKING: 03.2019

3.25.2019

Thom Yorke

(The Shepherd Undercover)

Thomas Edward Yorke is an English musician best known as the lead singer and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays the guitar and piano. He is known for falsetto in 2008, Rolling Stone ranked him the 66th greatest singer of all time.

Yorke was born in Northamptonshire. His family lived in Scotland before settling in Oxfordshire, England, where he formed Radiohead with his schoolmates. After he graduated from the University of Exeter, Radiohead signed to Parlophone. Their early hit 'Creep' made Yorke a celebrity, and Radiohead have gone on to achieve critical acclaim and sales of over 30 million albums. Their fourth album, 'Kid A(2000)', saw Yorke and the band move into electronic music, often manipulating his vocals.

In 2006, Yorke released his debut solo album, 'The Eraser', comprising mainly electronic music. In 2009, to perform 'The Eraser' live, he formed a new band, Atoms for Peace, with musicians including Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. They released an album, 'Amok', in 2013. In 2014, Yorke released his second solo album, 'Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'. He has collaborated with artists including PJ Harvey, Björk, Flying Lotus, and Modeselektor, and has composed for film and theater. His first feature film soundtrack, 'Suspiria', was released in October 2018. With artist Stanley Donwood, Yorke creates artwork for Radiohead albums.

Yorke has been critical of the music industry, particularly of major labels and streaming services such as Spotify. With Radiohead and his solo work he has pioneered alternative music release platforms such as pay-what-you-want and BitTorrent. He is an activist on behalf of human rights, animal rights, environmental and anti-war causes, and his lyrics often incorporate political themes.