Philip Selway
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Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the English rock band Radiohead. Along with the other members of Radiohead, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Selway released his debut solo album, '' Familial'', in 2010, followed by '' Weatherhouse'' in 2014. He also composed the soundtrack for the 2017 film ''Let Me Go''. His third solo album, ''Strange Dance'', is scheduled for February 2023.


Early life

Selway was born on 23 May, 1967, in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. He started learning to play drums and guitar at the age of 15 for "the social cachet and love of music". His earliest influences were
Joy Division Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. Sumner and Hook formed the band after atte ...
, the Clash and the
Velvet Underground Weave details visible on a purple-colored velvet fabric Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed, with a short pile, giving it a distinctive soft feel. By extension, the word ''velvety'' means ...
. The members of Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School, an independent school for boys. Selway, along with the guitarist Ed O'Brien, was in the year above the singer
Thom Yorke Thomas Edward Yorke (born 7 October 1968) is an English musician and the main vocalist and songwriter of the rock band Radiohead. A multi-instrumentalist, he mainly plays guitar and keyboards and is noted for his falsetto. He has been descri ...
and the bassist
Colin Greenwood Colin Charles Greenwood (born 26 June 1969) is an English musician and the bassist for the rock band Radiohead. Along with bass guitar, Greenwood plays upright bass and electronic instruments. With his younger brother, the Radiohead guitari ...
, and three years above the multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood, Colin's brother. In 1985, they formed , the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room. After Abingdon, Selway attended Liverpool Polytechnic, where he studied English and history. He also worked as a
TEFL Teaching English as a second language (TESL) or Teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) are terms that refer to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. The terms TESL, TEFL, and TESOL distinguish betwee ...
teacher, a copyeditor, and as a drummer in pit bands for touring musicals.


Career


Radiohead

In 1991, On a Friday signed a recording contract with
EMI EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
and changed their name to Radiohead. They found early success with their 1992 single " Creep". Their third album, '' OK Computer'' (1997), brought them international fame and is often acclaimed as one of the best albums of all time. From their fourth album, ''
Kid A ''Kid A'' is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead, released on 2 October 2000 by Parlophone. It was recorded with their producer, Nigel Godrich, in Paris, Copenhagen, Gloucestershire and their hometown of Oxford. After th ...
'' (2000), Radiohead began integrating drum machines and electronic percussion into their music. Selway said this "pushed me to create some new dynamics. It's another way of solving the problem of arranging songs ... Electronics opened up my drumming rather than closing down the possibilities of what I can do. Now I can express myself in a more effective way." In 2008, '' Gigwise'' named Selway the 26th greatest drummer of all time, praising his "mathematical precision". Since 2011, Radiohead have performed with a second drummer, Clive Deamer. Describing their 2012 tour for ''
The King of Limbs ''The King of Limbs'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 18 February 2011 as a download, followed by a physical release on 28 March through XL Recordings internationally and TBD Records in Nor ...
,'' Selway said: "One
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played in the traditional way, the other almost mimicked a drum machine. It was push-and-pull, like kids at play, really interesting." By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.Jonathan, Emma
"BBC Worldwide takes exclusive Radiohead performance to the world"
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...
. 3 May 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2011. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2019; Selway and O'Brien attended the induction ceremony and gave speeches. Selway said, "We may not be the greatest musicians around and we're certainly not the most media-friendly of bands. But we have become very adept at being Radiohead. And when that connects with people, it feels amazing." Selway contributed drums to "Impossible Knots" from Yorke's third solo album, '' Anima'' (2019). In 2019, Selway testified at an inquest into the 2012 Radiohead stage collapse that killed his drum technician, Scott Johnson.


Solo work

Selway began writing songs as a teenager, but concentrated on drumming after Radiohead formed; he began writing again later in life. Feeling the songs had a distinct character that did not fit Radiohead, Selway began recording solo material. His debut solo album, '' Familial'', was released on 30 August 2010. It features Selway on acoustic guitar and vocals, and performances from the
Wilco Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently d ...
members
Glenn Kotche Glenn Kotche (born December 31, 1970 in Roselle, Illinois, United States) is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco. He was named the 40th greatest drummer of all time by Gigwise in 2008. Prior to w ...
and
Pat Sansone Patrick Anthony "Pat" Sansone (born June 21, 1969) is an American multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense. Early bands Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi. Upon entering college at The University of South ...
and the
7 Worlds Collide 7 Worlds Collide is a musical project by New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn. The project brings together Finn and other musicians in support of charity. Finn has released two recordings associated with the project. The initial project re ...
artists
Lisa Germano Lisa Ruth Germano (born June 27, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Indiana. Her album '' Geek the Girl'' (1994) was chosen as a top album of the 1990s by ''Spin'' magazine. She began her career as a violinist ...
and Sebastian Steinberg. ''
Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to ...
'' described it as a collection of "hushed folk songs" in the tradition of Nick Drake. Selway announced a solo tour on 4 February 2011. Selway's second solo album, '' Weatherhouse'', was released on 6 October 2014, featuring more ambitious instrumentation and electronic elements. In 2017, Selway composed the score for the feature film ''Let Me Go'', directed by Polly Steele. His third solo album, ''Strange Dance,'' is scheduled for February 2023.


Other work

For 20 years, Selway volunteered for the emotional support charity Samaritans, first as a listener and then an ambassador. Selway performed with the band Dive Dive in March 2005. Along with Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood and
Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...
singer Jarvis Cocker, Selway appeared in the 2005 film '' Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'' as a member of the band the
Weird Sisters The Three Witches, also known as the Weird Sisters or Wayward Sisters, are characters in William Shakespeare's play '' Macbeth'' (c. 1603–1607). The witches eventually lead Macbeth to his demise, and they hold a striking resemblance to t ...
. Selway toured and recorded with
Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...
as part of the
7 Worlds Collide 7 Worlds Collide is a musical project by New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn. The project brings together Finn and other musicians in support of charity. Finn has released two recordings associated with the project. The initial project re ...
project. He drummed on their eponymous 2001 live album and provides drums, guitar and vocals on their 2009 studio album '' The Sun Came Out'', where he also penned two tracks. Selway appears on "Rest on the Rock" and "Out of Light" on the album '' Before the Ruin'' by Roddy Woomble,
Kris Drever Kris Drever (born 31 October 1978) is a Scottish contemporary folk musician and songwriter who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his debut solo album, ''Black Water''. Drever is the vocalist and guitarist of the folk trio Lau with ...
, and
John McCusker John McCusker (born 15 May 1973) is a Scottish folk musician, record producer, and composer. An accomplished fiddle player, he had a long association as a member of the Battlefield Band beginning in the 1990s and was later a band member and p ...
.


Personal life

Selway and his wife Cait have three sons and a daughter. Selway's mother Thea died during a Radiohead tour in May 2006; the band cancelled one of their dates in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
so that Selway could carry out his family duties. They returned to Amsterdam in August to play the missed show. ''
In Rainbows ''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'' is in memory of Thea Selway.


Discography


Studio albums


Soundtrack albums


Extended plays


Singles


See also

* List of Old Abingdonians


References


External links

* – official site {{DEFAULTSORT:Selway, Phil 1967 births Art rock musicians Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University English rock drummers People educated at Abingdon School People from Abingdon-on-Thames Radiohead members Ivor Novello Award winners English folk guitarists English male guitarists English electronic musicians Musicians from Oxfordshire Alternative rock drummers Grammy Award winners Living people Bella Union artists Teachers of English