Release Athens welcomes The Smile, on Thursday, June 20, at Water Plaza (Plateia Nerou)

Release Athens welcomes The Smile, on Thursday, June 20, at Water Plaza (Plateia Nerou). The band created by Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, i.e. the creative core of the great Radiohead, together with Tom Skinner of Sons of Kemet, will perform for the first time in Greece, as co-headliners with Pulp, in a unique festival night with a lineup that includes some of the greatest personalities in the world music scene of the last decades.

More artists to be announced soon.

The Smile was created during the lockdowns. Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood had a lot of new ideas they wanted to work on but at the same time the other members of Radiohead were also busy with their own projects.

The band took their name from the title of a poem by Ted Hughes. Yorke said it was “not the smile as in ‘ahh’, more the smile as in the guy who lies to you every day”. Their first appearance came via streaming for Glastonbury Festival, in May 2021, and a year later, their excellent debut, ‘’A Light for Attracting Attention’’, was released. “Enchanting with fascinating ideas”, “without a doubt, the best side-project from members of Radiohead”, “complex as well as wisely simple” are some of the rave reviews from the Media.

“You Will Never Work in Television Again”, “The Smoke”, “We Don’t Know What Tomorrow Brings” are immediate standouts. A post-punk sound, merging afrobeat and electronica, along with progressive arrangements. The stunning “Pana-vision” was part of the “Peaky Blinders” soundtrack, while “Open The Floodgates” is a dreamy masterpiece, similar to the finest moments of Radiohead.

Their sophomore album, ‘’Wall Of Eyes’’, recorded at the Abbey Road studios, will be released on January 2024. The first single, ‘’Wall Of Eyes’’ is accompanied with a video directed by the great Paul Thomas Anderson, creator of “There Will Be Blood” and “The Master”, in which Greenwood wrote the το soundtrack. P.T. Anderson also worked with Yorke for the 15-minute music video, “ANIMA”, in 2019.

On June 20, in addition to the wonderful Pulp, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood will return to Greece almost 24 years after their last visit, this time with The Smile. A festival day dedicated to some of the top artists that created – and still create – what we call truly great music!

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Tickets are now available at 65€ – and for a limited number. Following the sellout of these tickets, sales will continue at 70€. The next phases will be announced soon.

Also, limited VIP tickets are available, at the starting price of 175€. This category includes the following privileged benefits: