Radiohead's Ed O'Brien gives update on band's next album

Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien has given an update on the status of band's next album

The band returned to the stage in 2025, following a seven-year hiatus, to play a limited run of shows across Europe with stops in Madrid, Bologna, London, Copenhagen, and Berlin and Ed recently confirmed they plan to tour a different continent every year in future. However, fans hoping for Radiohead to release a follow-up to 2016 album A Moon Shaped Pool may have a long wait because the rockers haven't "even talked about" recording another record.

Ed told NME: "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.

"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 was so f****** awful to make! The tale of that record is so f****** dark. It casts a long shadow. Maybe ask me in six years time!"

However, Ed admitted he did enjoy getting back on the road last year. He explained: "It was just so amazing. It was daunting of course because everyone wants to make it work and the last time we’d done it [in 2018], it wasn’t great.

"We’re so blessed that people want to see what we do, but at the heart of it, it’s five people. I felt very strongly about it and said: 'If the love between the five of us is there, then everything flows from that and we’ve got no worries'. The songs can kind of play themselves in a way, but if there’s the love and that feeling between the five of us, and there was and it was glorious."

Ed previously confirmed the band's touring plans during an interview with Rolling Stone, revealing they have agreed on a long‑term plan that will see them perform in focused bursts rather than undertaking the kind of exhaustive world tours they once did.

Asked if they are hitting the road again, he said: "It’s definitely happening. 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 also confirmed that Radiohead will remain inactive throughout 2026, but are aiming to regroup the following year.

He said: “We won’t do anything this year, but we’ll do something next year,” he said.

Ed explained the new approach is designed to preserve the band’s energy and ensure every performance feels meaningful.

He said: “We want to give absolutely everything each night. “We do not ever want it to be like we’re going through the motions or we’re having to run on empty. We’ve got to be able to do it. And you know what? We’re not spring chickens anymore.”