The Radiohead bassist has been taking behind-the-scenes photos for years; now he shares them with the world

(CNN) – Colin Greenwood plays bass in one of the most acclaimed bands in the world, but he doesn’t consider himself a particularly public figure. Somehow, he retreats further from the public eye in his new book, a collection of photographs called “How to Disappear: A Portrait of Radiohead.”

The title is a nod to a song from Radiohead’s fourth studio album, 2000’s “Kid A.” But while the book’s title was partly inspired by his love of the song, it was also inspired by the fact that Greenwood It barely appears on its pages.

“Holding a camera and taking pictures is a good way to hide behind something while everything else is happening in front of you,” Greenwood told CNN. “It can act as a shield and also as a telescope.”

“How to Disappear,” which is released Tuesday, features behind-the-scenes footage of Radiohead throughout their work on 2003’s “Hail to the Thief” through 2016’s “A Moon Shaped Pool.” They had shared before, and Greenwood also uses the collection as a vehicle for a 10,000-word personal essay, telling Radiohead’s story in his own words.

Greenwood worked with editor Duncan Whyte to compile images that provide “an interesting insight into Radiohead’s creative flow.”

The footage, taken with a variety of film cameras, shows the band working in their rural Oxfordshire, England studio, taking breaks in the countryside and killing time while traveling or rehearsing. These quiet, intimate and sometimes surreal images then give way to dazzling shots of stage lights and the band performing for tens of thousands of fans.

Greenwood was drawn to photography after college, partly through his friend, photography writer and curator Charlotte Cotton. The art form has become a way for Greenwood to express his curiosity about the world he finds himself in, which he describes as an “extraordinary bubble that bounces between studios and settings around the world.”

“I enjoy bringing together photographs that share ideas of privacy and intimacy with public interpretation and expression,” Greenwood said.

As a member of Radiohead, Greenwood acknowledges that he has unique access that allows him to capture the images found in the book.

“I can take pictures whenever I want. “I don’t have to wait an hour on a day off,” he said.

Greenwood's brother and bandmate, Jonny Greenwood, performs on stage in Dublin, Ireland, in 2018. Photos like this show the
Greenwood has taken photographs of the band working in the studio and on stage, but has also documented them taking breaks, as seen in this 2010 photo outside their studio in Oxfordshire, England.

But he can be shy when it comes to taking pictures. “I’m not there to take pictures, and sometimes I find it difficult to navigate the different roles of musician and photographer,” he writes in “How to Disappear.”

The moments Greenwood captures on stage are usually captured during parts of songs where he is not actively playing his bass. “That’s when I take the camera and then take pictures of my friends who can’t object because they’re busy playing,” he explained. “I take advantage of the fact that my friends are busy.”

However, there are other times when you feel that taking photos can be intrusive. While his younger brother and bandmate Jonny Greenwood “is always willing to have his photo taken,” the rest of the band members have not always wanted to have their photo taken.

“But after saying that, you know, I look back and I’m so grateful to my friends for giving me the opportunity to photograph them while we were all working on the music in the studio and on stage,” Greenwood said. “Over time, I reflect that everyone was very supportive.”

Jonny Greenwood films at Tottenham House, a country house in Wiltshire, England, in 2006.
Radiohead singer Thom Yorke works on a song at Halswell House in Somerset in 2006.

In fact, when Greenwood showed the rest of Radiohead the photos and lyrics to “How to Disappear,” he heard some “good encouraging noises” from guitarist Ed O’Brien and drummer Philip Selway.

“That’s one of the things I’m proud of with my band, is that we’ve always respected each other’s artistic integrity and the freedom to make the decisions we want,” said Greenwood, who has also been recording and touring with Nick Cave. (Both O’Brien and Selway have released solo projects in recent years, while Jonny Greenwood and singer Thom Yorke have worked together on their side project, The Smile.)

“That’s something we’ve all done as a band… we’ve supported each other’s projects other than Radiohead, whether it’s writing or photography.”

Greenwood has posted other photos of the band online since “How to Disappear” was first announced, and says he would love to continue working on their photography.

Artist Stanley Donwood, who has created covers for Radiohead since 1994, works in the band's Oxfordshire studio in 2003.

While he believes this particular collection will reinforce Radiohead fans’ “best hopes and worst suspicions” about the band, he hopes it will otherwise serve as a “beautiful” book for those who aren’t as familiar with them.

What’s next for Radiohead?

“We’re hoping to make some plans,” said Greenwood, who played old songs with his bandmates when they reunited in June. “Many things were retained and marginalized, obviously, like everyone’s lives, with the coronavirus. So we’re catching up on all that stuff.

“We talked to each other and yes, we hope to make some plans.”

Colin Greenwood in the band's studio in 2016.
American audiences attend one of Radiohead's shows in 2016. Greenwood said he sees shooting on film as an opportunity to surprise. “No one can see the results until they get home,” he said.
A look behind the scenes in the United Kingdom, circa 2011. “There are 300 other photographs I could have included,” Greenwood said of his book. “But they will probably just be the ones I post (online) from time to time.”
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