Ed O'Brien Releases Blue Morpho, Schedules October Live Shows
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- Ed O'Brien bought Ally's Tartan Army, the 1978 Scottish World Cup song, as his first single at age 10 because England hadn't qualified, citing his love for the Scottish side including Kenny Dalglish, Alan Rough, and Martin Buchan.
- While promoting OK Computer in Japan for Ed O'Brien's 29th birthday, Toshiba EMI's Mr. Inagawa took the band to a karaoke bar where Thom Yorke sang "My Way" while wearing prosthetic animal heads.
- Ed O'Brien says he's done with indie and guitar music, relieved he never has to listen to "How Do You?" by Radiohead again, and prefers Bach's Mass in B minor to start his mornings.
- The Police's "Walking on the Moon" — specifically Andy Summers' guitar sound — is the track that made Ed O'Brien first pick up a guitar.
- Ed O'Brien says his new solo single Blue Morpho makes him cry, inspired by memories of his children growing up on a farm on the edge of the Brazilian rainforest.
- For his funeral, Ed O'Brien chose "In Paradisum," the final movement of Fauré's Requiem, which he sang in a choir as a child.
- Blue Morpho is out now, with Ed O'Brien scheduled to play live in October.
Why it matters: Ed O'Brien's profile surfaces alongside the release of Blue Morpho and the announcement of October live dates, giving fans their first real solo statement from the Radiohead guitarist — one in which he openly distances himself from the indie and guitar music that defined his band, even as he continues making records.
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