The Smile have shared a beautiful new single titled ‘Friend Of A Friend’, and announced a series of cinema album playback events for their upcoming album – find out more below.
Released today (January 9), the new track comes as the latest preview of the band’s upcoming sophomore album ‘Wall Of Eyes’. Set for release on January 26, it is the follow-up to their breakthrough debut album ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’ – which arrived back in 2022.
As for the sound, ‘Friend Of A Friend’ sees members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Tom Skinner create an ethereal atmosphere with the song, which gradually develops.
“I can go anywhere that I want / I just gotta turn myself inside out and back to front,” sings Yorke at the beginning of the song. “With cut-out shapes and worn-out spaces / Add some sparkles to create the right effect / They’re all smiling, so I guess I’ll stay / At least ’til the disappointed have eaten themselves away.”
The single was first showcased live during the band’s 2022-2023 live shows, and the studio version features strings from the London Contemporary Orchestra and saxophone from Robert Stillman. Check it out below, as well as the music video, made by motion picture director Paul Thomas Anderson.
As well as sharing the new track, The Smile have also shared details of some special ‘Wall Of Eyes’ cinema album playback events – set to kick off later this month.
Running between January 18-25, the events will allow fans to listen to ‘Wall Of Eyes’ for the first and only time in surround sound, and come as a way to celebrate the members’ collaboration with Anderson.
As well as playing the new LP in its entirety, never-before-seen footage of the album’s recording sessions will be shown, as will the world film premiere of ‘Friend Of A Friend’ and a presentation of ‘Wall Of Eyes’, both directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and shot on 35mm film.
A programme looking back over the Thomas Anderson’s previous directorial collaborations with both Yorke and Radiohead will be shown too, including ANIMA (short film) and Radiohead’s ‘Daydreaming’ (35mm), ‘Present Tense’ and ‘The Numbers’.
The new single Friend Of A Friend, taken from the forthcoming album Wall Of Eyes is out now.
The video for Friend Of A Friend, by director Paul Thomas Anderson will be premiered alongside a surround sound album playback of Wall Of Eyes at a series of one-off events… pic.twitter.com/BnQzBETRJE
— The Smile (@thesmiletheband) January 9, 2024
Tickets go on general sale from Thursday (January 11) and are available to buy here. Find a full list of screenings below.
Screening events:
JANUARY
18 – The Prince Charles Cinema, Leicester Square, London, UK*
18 – The Village East, Manhattan, New York, US*
19 – Brain Dead Studios, Los Angeles, US*
20 – SangSang Madang Cinema, Seoul, SK (x2 showings)
20 – Cinema Godard – Fondazione Prada, Milan, IT*
20 – Cine Tonalá, CDMX, MX
22 – 190 Cinemas Premium Shinjuku, Tokyo, JP*
22 – MK2 Quai de Loire, Paris, FR*
23 – Golden Age Cinema, Sydney, AUS (x2 showings)
23 – Eye Filmuseum, Amsterdam, NL*
23 – Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow, UK*
25t – 190 Cinemas Premium Shinjuku, Tokyo, JP*
25 – Kino Intimes, Berlin, DE
*35mm presentations available in select participating cinemas
The Smile have also announced new European headline dates in June and August 2024 – adding to their near sold-out run in March. Cities include Hamburg, Berlin, Prague and Rome.
Tickets for the new dates go on sale this Friday (January 12) and can be found here. Check out the new dates below.
The Smile June and August 2024 European dates:
JUNE
8 – Hamburg, Stadtpark Open Air, Germany
9 – Cologne Palladium, Germany
11 – Berlin, Verti Music Hall, Germany
12 – Prague, Forum Karlin, Czechia
14- Belgrade, Hangar, Serbia
15 – Pula Arena, Pula, Croatia
17- Bucharest, Arenele Romane, Romania
18 – Sofia, Arena Sofia, Bulgaria
23 – Rome, Cavea Auditorium, Roma Summer Fest, Italy
AUGUST
13 – Sigulda Castle, Sigulda, Latvia
14 – Warsaw, Progresja, Summer Stage, Poland
20 – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle, Germany
21 – Munich, Zenith, Germany
22 – Vienna Open Air Arena, Austria
26 – Bordeaux, Krakatoa, France
28 – Valencia, Jardines De Viveros, Spain
Back in 2022, debut album ‘A Light For Attracting Attention’ was given a glistening four-star review from NME, who described it as “showcasing a melodic, more energetic and free-flowing iteration of the Yorke-Greenwood partnership”.
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