Ed O’Brien unveils Blue Morpho: Radiohead guitarist shares solo album plans

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Ed O’Brien will return with a new solo record, Blue Morpho, on May 22 — and he’s releasing a companion short film, Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play, at the same time. The album, his first for Transgressive and a follow-up to 2020’s Earth, arrives amid renewed live activity with Radiohead and amid a personal story that shaped the record.

Why this release matters now

The timing links artistic reinvention with wider conversations about recovery and creativity: O’Brien says the project grew out of a severe depressive episode in late 2020, and he credits sustained guitar work and the practices of mentor figure Wim Hof for helping him through a dark period. That personal backdrop gives the record an immediate human interest angle, while its release during an active touring season makes it relevant to fans tracking Radiohead and solo activity.

Blue Morpho was produced by Paul Epworth and includes contributions from saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings and Estonian composer Tõnu Kõrvits. The album is being accompanied by a short film created to expand its themes visually.

Key details

Release date: May 22

Label: Transgressive

Producer: Paul Epworth

Notable collaborators: Shabaka Hutchings, Tõnu Kõrvits

Companion film: Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play, released the same day

O’Brien has just finished a stretch of Radiohead dates and told the press he is still working out how to present Blue Morpho in a live setting. For fans of the band, his comments add a layer of anticipation: he suggested Radiohead’s upcoming live plans will be deliberately measured, focusing on a limited number of shows on one continent each year rather than sprawling global runs.

Tracks

01. Incantations

02. Blue Morpho

03. Sweet Spot

04. Teachers

05. Solfeggio

06. Thin Places

07. Obrigado

The new record offers a compact seven-track sequence that, by design, feels intimate rather than expansive — a contrast to some of O’Brien’s work with Radiohead. Critics and listeners will likely watch how the songs translate to a stage and how the film shapes audience perceptions of the music.

What to watch next

Expect early coverage to focus on three threads: the album’s themes of recovery and resilience, how the short film contextualizes the songs, and how O’Brien balances solo work with Radiohead’s slow-burn touring approach. For the broader cultural moment, Blue Morpho is notable as an example of a high-profile artist foregrounding mental-health recovery in their creative narrative — a subject that continues to resonate across music coverage and public conversation.