Radiohead’s bassist has taken behind-the-scenes photos for years. Now he’s sharing them with the world

Images courtesy of Colin Greenwood
CNN published a story by Radhika Marya on October 13, 2024.

In 2006, members of Radiohead stroll along a shoreline in Somerset, England. Colin Greenwood, the bassist, took the image. His new book, “How to Disappear: A Portrait of Radiohead,” features images he took of the band during the previous 20 years.

Even though he plays bass for one of the most well-known bands in the world, Colin Greenwood doesn’t think of himself as a very well-known person. In certain aspects, he withdraws even more from the spotlight in his most recent book, “How to Disappear: A Portrait of Radiohead,” which is a compilation of images.

The song’s title alludes to “Kid A,” a piece from Radiohead’s 2000 fourth studio album. However, even though the book’s title was partially inspired by his love of the song, it was also inspired by the fact that Greenwood is barely featured in its pages. “Holding a camera and taking pictures is a nice way of sort of hiding behind something whilst everything else is going on in front of you,” Greenwood told CNN. “It can act as a shield as well as a scope.” Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien travels on the Tokyo subway in 2008. Greenwood described it as a “fish-out-of-water photograph,” noting that it was taken in an environment that offered a little more anonymity than the New York or London subways. “How to Disappear,” out Tuesday, features behind-the-scenes images of Radiohead over the course of their work on 2003’s “Hail to the Thief” through 2016’s “A Moon Shaped Pool.” Many of the photos haven’t been shared before, and Greenwood also uses the collection as a vehicle for a 10,000-word personal essay, telling Radiohead’s story in his own words. Greenwood worked with editor Duncan Whyte to compile images that give “interesting insight into the creative flow of Radiohead.”