Radiohead: Band Denies New Album Is Coming Out In June

For those wondering if Radiohead will release a new album this year, it may be a while before the band officially makes an announcement. Earlier this week, Brian Message, an individual who claimed to be Radiohead’s manager but was only affiliated with Radiohead’s management group Courtyard Management, had mentioned during an interview that the new “the new Radiohead album out in June will be like nothing like you’ve ever heard” in a tweet posted by The Wanstead Tap. The tweet was later deleted, though The Wanstead Tap later retweeted the following.

Big music news from #ForestGate tonight; #Radiohead‘s manager confirms June release of new album at super cool @TheWansteadtap. #eastlondon

— Paul Drury-Bradey (@thisisjukebox) April 14, 2016

Now Radiohead is denying all reports that they’re releasing a new album. In a press release posted by Radiohead’s camp via Entertainment Weekly, Radiohead has distanced themselves from Message completely.

“At an industry event in London last night Brian Message was asked about new Radiohead music. Quotes attributed to him and taken from his talk have subsequently appeared, describing him as Radiohead’s manager. Brian Message is not Radiohead’s manager – he is a partner in Courtyard Management but plays no operational role, and therefore any quotes from last night’s event, or any supposition arising from them, should not be attributed to Radiohead’s management or be seen as official quotes on behalf of the group. Radiohead are managed by Chris Hufford and Bryce Edge at Courtyard Management.”

Reports of a new Radiohead album circulated after The Guardian released an article giving further details from Message, including that he was “praying every night” that Radiohead would stream their newest album via Spotify.

“Message told the audience of just 30 people that the new album would be released in June. He refused to reveal its name, but billed the album as ‘something that will probably make many of us go, ‘Wow!” He continued: ‘There’s nothing out there right now that sounds anything like this. And for some people that will be a good thing and for others that probably won’t.'”

Earlier this month, Radiohead’s B-sides and rarities began disappearing from streaming sites. The band is currently transferring its catalogue to the Beggars imprint XL Recordingss from Parlophone. XL Recordings purchased Radiohead’s later catalogue this month from Warner Music Group (WMG) after Warner purchased Parlophone and released special editions of their earlier albums without Radiohead’s approval in the mid-2000’s. Those albums were also pulled from streaming services. To date, XL Recordings has released the physical editions of Radiohead’s catalogue up to 2007’s In Rainbows.

It’s been a little over five years since Radiohead have released a new album of any kind. 2011’s The King of Limbs was released four days after the band made the official announcement as a DRM digital download. Radiohead also released 2007’s In Rainbows the same way, giving fans the option of “pay what you feel” for the album. If a new album is released, it will mark Radiohead’s ninth album to date. Radiohead recently shot a video with Boogie Nights director Paul Thomas Anderson, which speculated that the band was indeed releasing a new album this year. Though in past years Radiohead has been very secretive about any plans it may forego.

Radiohead recently announced a world tour, which sold out in minutes leaving fans rather upset. Though most of the dates are European, only five them are in the United States, which include an appearance at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands later this summer.

Radiohead 2016 Tour:

05-20-21 Amsterdam, Netherlands – Heineken Music Hall
05-23-24 Paris, France – Le Zénith
05-26-28 London, England – Roundhouse
06-01 Lyon, France – Les Nuits Des Fourvieres
06-03 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival
06-17 Reyjkavik, Iceland – Secret Solstice
07-02 St. Gallen, Switzerland – Openair St. Gallen
07-08 Lisbon, Portugal – Nos Alive Festival
07-26-27 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
07-28-31 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza
07-29-31 Montreal, Québec – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival
08-04 Los Angeles, LA – Shrine Auditorium
08-05-07 Golden Gate Park, CA – Outside Lands
08-08 Los Angeles, LA – Shrine Auditorium
08-20 Osaka, Japan – Summersonic Festival
08-21 Tokyo, Japan – Summersonic Festival
09-11 Berlin, Germany – Lollapalooza
10-03-04 Mexico City, Mexico – Palacio de los Deportes

[Header photo by Jim Dyson/Getty Images]