In Rainbows

Template:Future album

Radiohead's seventh studio album is still in production and is expected sometime in 2007. The band have been working on their album for about 2 years, starting back in early 2005. It is unknown at what point they are of the completion of the new album or what the title.

The band are currently unsigned, having fulfilled their six-album contract with EMI. In interviews in 2006, the band said that having "no contract or release deadline to fulfill – it's both liberating and terrifying" to work that way.^[1] The band have stated they will not make a decision on how to release their new material until it is finished, but that they do not plan to permanently re-sign to a label.

Radiohead will likely release their seventh album sometime in 2007, but its release date and title are unknown. As Yorke has hinted at a plan to release EPs rather than an album, it is unknown whether the band has plans to negotiate a new contract with a label for release of current and future recordings.

Radiohead's new music has been characterized by the band as "almost embarassingly minimal" and "sparse with lots of bass", and more recently, "lush", according to Stanley Donwood who works closely with them on the artwork of the new album. About the lyrical concept of the new record, Yorke said in May 2006, "It's about that anonymous fear thing, sitting in traffic, thinking, 'I'm sure I'm supposed to be doing something else'... it's similar to OK Computer in a way. It's much more terrifying. But OK Computer was terrifying too - some of the lyrics were."^[2]

After a break in 2004, Radiohead began work again in early 2005. As a result of the band's work, Thom and Jonny debuted a new song, "Arpeggi," in March 2005, playing it at London's Ether Festival; Greenwood also debuted two of his own classical pieces, one written for the Ondes Martenot. Later that summer, Thom performed an acoustic set for the Trade Justice Rally, playing the never-recorded "Nude" (aka "Big Ideas") and "Reckoner," debuting the new song "House of Cards," and introducing "Last Flowers [Till Hospital]," a previously unheard remnant of the OK Computer period.

In early September 2005 the band recorded a new, piano-based song, "I Want None of This", for the War Child charity album Help: A Day in the Life - a sequel to the 1995 compilation to which the band had contributed "Lucky." The album was sold on the Internet, and Radiohead's contribution became the most downloaded track, though in contrast with "Lucky" it was not released as a single.

Radiohead returned to regular recording sessions by late summer 2005, posting intermittently on their progress in their new blog, Dead Air Space. Recording continued into early 2006. On the initial sessions, the band chose to work with Mark "Spike" Stent instead of their longtime co-producer Nigel Godrich. As revealed by Ed O'Brien in December 2005, the switch was made amiably because the band felt too comfortable with Godrich and wanted to challenge themselves. The band finished work with Stent in spring 2006.

In May and June 2006, Radiohead toured England and major cities in Europe and North America, returning to Europe for several concerts in August. The tour, their first in several years, drew sold out crowds to smaller venues such as clubs and theatres, including a benefit performance in London for Friends of the Earth's campaign to stop climate change. They also played some big music festivals as the massive Bonnaroo and V; they headlined both lineups of V and played a 28-song set at Bonnaroo, their longest live concert in years. The tour coincided with the release of Thom Yorke's solo album, The Eraser, whose track "Cymbal Rush" was performed at the environmental benefit, but otherwise the band did not play these songs as a group. In addition to playing old songs and re-arranged band versions of "Arpeggi", "Nude" and "House of Cards" Radiohead premiered 10 new songs on their 2006 tour.

After the tour, the band restarted recording sessions, this time with Nigel Godrich. Thom Yorke said on Dead Air Space that the band have "started the record properly now... starting to get somewhere I think. Finally."^[3] By late December 2006, the band had finished their third month of recording with Godrich at several rural locations in England. Following a Christmas break Radiohead will continue recording or mixing in January.^[4]

According to interviews, however these represent only a portion of the newly written material

• "Bangers 'n' Mash"
• "Open Pick"
• "15 Step"
• "4 Minute Warning"
• "Spooks"
• "Bodysnatchers", "Go Slowly"
• "Videotape"
• "Down Is The New Up"
• "All I Need"
• "Arpeggi"
• "House of Cards"

There are some older unreleased songs that still may also appear on the album:

• "Last Flowers till the Hospital"
• "Lift"
• "Big Boots"
• "Reckoner"
• "Follow Me Around"
• "Up on the Ladder"
• "I Promise"

• New album page at GreenPlastic.com