Ed O’Brien Announces New Solo Album Blue Morpho

Fresh off a recent run of Radiohead tour dates, guitarist Ed O’Brien has announced Blue Morpho, his first album on Transgressive and the follow-up to his 2020 debut solo effort, Earth. Produced by Paul Epworth, and featuring contributions from Shabaka Hutchings and composer Tõnu Kõrvits, the record drops May 22 alongside the short film Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play. You can find the full tracklist and listen to the album’s lead single below.

In a press statement, O’Brien noted Blue Morpho was born from one of “the most challenging periods” of his life, when he entered a deep depression in late 2020. O’Brien credits playing the guitar for hours, along with the work of Win Hof—a motivational speaker and athlete known for his use of cold exposure to treat a host of mental ailments and diseases, including multiple sclerosis and cancer—of helping him get through it.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, O’Brien said he’s still figuring out how to translate Blue Morpho to the stage. In the meantime, he teased more Radiohead live dates: “Every year we’re going to do a different continent, and we’re going to do 20 shows each year,” he says. “No more, no less.”