Ed O'Brien Announces Solo Album Blue Morpho

Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien announced his second solo album, Blue Morpho, set for release on May 22 through the Transgressive label. The seven-track project marks his first solo effort under his full name, following his 2020 debut Earth, which he issued under the moniker EOB amid the onset of the global pandemic. Alongside the announcement, O'Brien shared the album's title track, an atmospheric piece featuring cinematic strings and birdsong samples, inspired by the restorative power of nature.

The album emerged from a period of intense personal challenge for O'Brien. After Earth's release, he grappled with severe depression, a struggle intensified by the isolation of the pandemic. Encouraged by his wife to confront his emotions, O'Brien adopted daily practices drawn from the teachings of Wim Hof, including breathing exercises and cold exposure, before retreating to his London studio. There, he spent four years immersed in guitar playing, processing trauma and drawing on influences like Kentucky poet Wendell Berry's idea that "to know the dark, go dark." This philosophy guided the record's creation, blending hypnotic psych-folk, triphop elements, radiant guitars, and moments...