Radiohead Already Over The Whole Free Download Thing

anthonyjmiccio | April 30, 2008 9:45 am
AP060617032911.jpg

The “pay what you want” online release of In Rainbows may have set Trent Reznor and Billy Corgan off to discover their own maverick ways, but it looks like Thom Yorke is a little tired of the brave new world. “I think it was a one-off response to a particular situation,” said Yorke. Rather than admit that he’s loving the taste of Dave Matthews’ crunchy granola over at ATO, or that financially the online release of In Rainbows wasn’t all that it could have been, he’s crediting his anomie on the lack of “significance” it would have if they did it again. It’s always about significance with you, isn’t it, Thom?

“It was one of those things where we were in the position of everyone asking us what we were going to do,” he said. “I don’t think it would have the same significance now anyway, if we chose to give something away again. It was a moment in time.”

Speaking as Radiohead was promoting its pro-social initiative with MTV against sex- and labor trafficking, Yorke said successful bands have new ways to communicate directly with fans.

“We are about that direct relationship (now) because we are big enough to establish that,” he said.

The band has a new video for “All I Need,” which was produced jointly with MTV Europe for its anti-human-trafficking MTV Exit campaign. According to Thom, it’s all “about exploiting a situation while you have the chance.” In more ways than one, dude.

Thom Yorke: Radiohead’s stunt was ‘one-off’ [Hollywood Reporter]