The Smile announce new album ‘Wall of Eyes’
The Smile have revealed the full details of their second album Wall of Eyes, and shared the title track from the forthcoming release.
The band, which comprises of Radiohead duo Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner, are set to share their project on January 26th through XL Recordings. The LP is the follow-up to their 2022 debut, A Light For Attracting Attention, which they consequently extensively toured.
For the new project, The Smile carried out recording duties in Oxford and Abbey Road Studios. Wall of Eyes has been produced and mixed by Sam Petts-Davies, who has previously worked with the band. Additionally, string arrangements have been carried out by the London Contemporary Orchestra.
The title track for Wall of Eyes arrives alongside a video directed by esteemed filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, who has previously worked with Radiohead on a number of projects. A new collaboration between the pair had previously been teased with a mysterious poster which appeared at the Prince Charles Cinema in London.
Now, it’s officially been confirmed that Anderson teamed up with the band to create the video for ‘Wall of Eyes’. Greenwood recently made the soundtrack for the director’s 2021 film Licorice Pizza, with Anderson now repaying the favour.
Earlier this year, Greenwood confirmed The Smile’s plans to make more music: “The frustration of having not had access to playing in a band for a couple of years [has] just built up a big backlog of ideas. We’re still firing off each other, and it feels productive. So, while that’s happening, we just wanna keep moving forward, I think.”
In addition to announcing Wall of Eyes, The Smile have also announced plans to tour the United Kingdom and Europe in 2024. The run of dates will begin at the 3Arena in Dublin on March 7th before visiting Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam. The trio will then play a handful of shows in the UK, concluding at London’s Alexandra Palace on March 24th.
Watch the video for ‘Wall of Eyes’ below.
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