Biography
As guitarist and backing vocalist in the groundbreaking British alt-rock outfit Radiohead, Ed O'Brien forged a highly personal, richly layered approach that anchored the sonic identity of landmark recordings such as OK Computer and Kid A. While his bandmates pursued various solo and side endeavors across the years, O'Brien channeled his creative focus exclusively into the group until 2020, when—more than three decades after the band formed—he finally stepped out with his debut solo project. Issued under the moniker EOB, the album Earth wove folk, electronica, and indie rock around the atmospheric guitar textures that define his playing.
Born and raised in Oxford, O'Brien immersed himself during the 1980s in post-punk, new wave, and college rock acts including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and the Ants, and Depeche Mode. At the historic Abingdon boys school in Oxfordshire he encountered future collaborators Thom Yorke, Philip Selway, and brothers Jonny and Colin Greenwood. Still in their teens, the five formed a tight-knit circle and began rehearsing in 1985 inside the school music room under the name On a Friday. The ensemble stayed intact while O'Brien pursued economics studies at the University of Manchester; in 1991 they adopted the name Radiohead and scored their breakthrough single, “Creep,” the following year. Together with Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, O'Brien anchored the three-guitar front line that became a signature element of the band’s sound as it shifted from Brit-pop roots toward the experimental terrain of 1997’s OK Computer and 2000’s Kid A. Despite widespread critical and commercial acclaim, this era brought internal challenges that pushed O'Brien to expand his guitar vocabulary beyond conventional rock frameworks. By exploring sustain and looping techniques he refined his singular voice across the next twenty years, contributing to further inventive releases such as 2011’s In Rainbows and 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. In 2019 he and his Radiohead colleagues received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Until that moment his artistic output had remained entirely within the band, yet a sudden influx of new material prompted him to branch out. Late in 2019 he unveiled his first solo recording, the atmospheric “Santa Teresa,” credited simply as EOB; the full album Earth followed in March 2020.
Born and raised in Oxford, O'Brien immersed himself during the 1980s in post-punk, new wave, and college rock acts including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam and the Ants, and Depeche Mode. At the historic Abingdon boys school in Oxfordshire he encountered future collaborators Thom Yorke, Philip Selway, and brothers Jonny and Colin Greenwood. Still in their teens, the five formed a tight-knit circle and began rehearsing in 1985 inside the school music room under the name On a Friday. The ensemble stayed intact while O'Brien pursued economics studies at the University of Manchester; in 1991 they adopted the name Radiohead and scored their breakthrough single, “Creep,” the following year. Together with Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, O'Brien anchored the three-guitar front line that became a signature element of the band’s sound as it shifted from Brit-pop roots toward the experimental terrain of 1997’s OK Computer and 2000’s Kid A. Despite widespread critical and commercial acclaim, this era brought internal challenges that pushed O'Brien to expand his guitar vocabulary beyond conventional rock frameworks. By exploring sustain and looping techniques he refined his singular voice across the next twenty years, contributing to further inventive releases such as 2011’s In Rainbows and 2016’s A Moon Shaped Pool. In 2019 he and his Radiohead colleagues received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Until that moment his artistic output had remained entirely within the band, yet a sudden influx of new material prompted him to branch out. Late in 2019 he unveiled his first solo recording, the atmospheric “Santa Teresa,” credited simply as EOB; the full album Earth followed in March 2020.
Albums
Singles
