{"id":439586,"date":"2026-05-22T06:40:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T06:40:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/439586\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T06:40:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T06:40:10","slug":"ed-obrien-steps-out-from-radioheads-shadow-with-blue-morpho","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/439586\/","title":{"rendered":"Ed O\u2019Brien steps out from Radiohead\u2019s shadow with Blue Morpho"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ed O\u2019Brien\u2019s second solo album Blue Morpho marks a defining moment \u2013 it\u2019s his first record to appear under his own name, instead of his EOB moniker. Best known for his work with Radiohead<\/a>, O\u2019Brien says the shift reflects a deeper personal change.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not hiding any more,\u201d he explains. \u201cI was hiding behind a doppelg\u00e4nger called EOB. I had huge insecurities. Coming from Radiohead, knowing I\u2019d be compared to Thom Yorke<\/a> or Jonny Greenwood, I felt like, \u2018Who am I?\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cBut going through that, you come out the other side and think, \u2018I don\u2019t care any more.\u2019 That\u2019s a really liberating place.\u201d<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

Produced and co-written with Paul Epworth \u2013 who\u2019s previously worked with Adele, Florence + The Machine and Mumford And Sons \u2013 Blue Morpho was shaped by a turbulent period following the release of 2020 solo debut Earth. As lockdown set in, O\u2019Brien entered what he describes as \u201cthe deepest depression\u201d of his life; an experience that redefined his relationship with music.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt strips everything away \u2013 it crushes the ego,\u201d he reflects. \u201cYou\u2019re forced to confront your fears, and eventually you reach acceptance. That process of letting go had a profound impact on the music.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ed O’Brien – Incantations – YouTube
\n\"Ed<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a><\/p>\n

Much of the album began as daily improvisations. \u201cI\u2019d go into the studio and just play with no expectations. It was therapy: you turn up every day and let something come through. Sometimes it\u2019s just a few notes, but you can feel the potential of a whole song in them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those fragments were later developed into expansive compositions that prioritise mood and texture over conventional form. \u201cI wanted the music to breathe,\u201d O\u2019Brien explains. \u201cIf something wants to be 10 minutes long, let it be. I\u2019m bored of forcing things into a structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Blue Morpho also features Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, British jazz musician Shabaka Hutchings and Estonian composer T\u00f5nu K\u00f5rvits, whose contributions helped shape its fluid, exploratory sound.<\/p>\n

For O\u2019Brien the album represents both release and renewal. \u201cIt\u2019s about the process now. It\u2019s something I have to do \u2013 and I love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blue Morpho<\/a> is on sale now via Transgressive Records.<\/p>\n

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