The Smile – Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Tom Skinner – today release a brand new single, “Bending Hectic”. Listen here
Produced by Sam Petts-Davies and with strings by the London Contemporary Orchestra, the standalone single was recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London earlier this year. It was first debuted by The Smile during their Montreux Jazz Festival appearance in 2022 and, while not included on the subsequent live album The Smile (Live at Montreux Jazz Festival, July 2022), it became a word-of-mouth phenomenon, with fans and critics calling for its release. After a year of waiting, “Bending Hectic” gets a global digital release today via XL Recordings.
The single marks The Smile’s first piece of new music in 2023. It follows the band’s acclaimed 2022 debut album, A Light For Attracting Attention which was named amongst the Best Albums of 2022 by Pitchfork, Uncut, MOJO, Rough Trade, Billboard, New York Times, Consequence and many more.
Tomorrow, the band embark on an extensive tour of North America. Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner will kick off the 16-date excursion on Wednesday 21 June with their first-ever performance in Mexico City. After two nights, they will then go on to the United States and Canada, marking The Smile’s debut live performances in every city they play — with the exception of New York where they’ll return to headline Forest Hills Stadium on 7 July. For more information or to buy tickets, head to www.thesmiletheband.com. Following the tour, the band will return to the studio to continue working on new material.
Bending Hectic Artwork by Thom Yorke and Stanley Donwood.
Download the “Bending Hectic” lyrics here
