The unlikeliest of guitar heroes, Radiohead’sJonny Greenwooddoesn’t show off.
The guitarist, 50, modestly says his pivot to screen composing wasn’t part of a master plan.
“It still feels like quite a strange thing to do,” he says.
Musician and composer Jonny Greenwood.Burak Cingi/Redferns
“But I enjoy the connection with the director.
“What always fascinated me was how many colors and instruments there are,” he says.
But I would never take more than one guitar.
I just wasn’t interested.
It was more like: Okay, I can get a French horn or some bagpipes or whatever.
That was my idea of pure pleasure.”
“It looks alarmingly like my fantasy all came true,” Greenwood says.
“Minus the French horn.”
But Greenwood has made up for it with an autodidact’s zeal.
Increasingly in demand, Greenwood takes his time, working by himself for months with no arrangers or assistants.
“It’s nerdy,” he admits.
“You’re doing one note at a time on paper, on a score.
It’s like a fireworks display, and I love it.”
Greenwood’s process begins early, poring through scripts and set photos.
“The test footage forSpencerwas all very claustrophobic and handheld,” he recalls.
“It made it clear that it wasn’t going to beThe Crown.”
There’s still a bit of showman in him, too.
