Thom Yorke, the leading voice of Radiohead, recently shared some insights in an interview with Jason Thomas Gordon.
Rolling Stone has released Yorke’s interview, where he delves into his initial reluctance to take on the role of a lead singer.
Yorke reminisced about his admiration for Queen and noted, “I saw myself more as a Brian May, not really a Freddie Mercury.” When asked about his singing journey, he said, “I always thought someone else would step up to the mic. I felt more like a Brian May, surprisingly enough. However, it changed because I couldn’t find anyone else for the job.”
During the creation of their iconic album, ‘OK Computer’, Yorke had a particular approach to recording. He confessed, “I felt I needed to be in a different state to sing without inhibitions. But it often ended up sounding like a tipsy man singing. It took many tries and sobriety to get it right.”
He also shared how he initially imitated the voices of singers he admired, notably Morrissey and Michael Stipe. An attempt to mimic David Sylvian’s higher tones wasn’t successful, which made him lean more towards Stipe and Morrissey.
Yorke’s journey in music wasn’t without its challenges. He spoke about the hurdles he faced in finding his authentic voice, stressing that it took him a significant amount of time to truly sound like himself.
