Phil Selway

Soundtrack

Popular As Philip James Selway

Birthday May 23, 1967

Birth Sign Gemini

Birthplace Abingdon, United Kingdom

Age 57 years old

Nationality United Kingdom

Height 5' 9¾" (1.77 m)

#29766 Most Popular

1926

In the same year, Gigwise named Selway the 26th-greatest drummer of all time, praising his "mathematical precision".

Selway wrote songs as a teenager, but concentrated on drumming after forming Radiohead.

He began writing again later in life, and decided to record solo as he felt the songs had a distinct character that did not fit Radiohead.

1967

Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an English musician and the drummer of the rock band Radiohead.

He combines rock drumming with electronic percussion.

Selway was born on 23 May, 1967, in Abingdon, Berkshire.

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, the Clash and the Velvet Underground.

The members of Radiohead met while attending Abingdon School, a private school for boys.

Selway, along with the guitarist Ed O'Brien, was in the year above the singer, Thom Yorke, and the bassist, Colin Greenwood, and three years above Colin's brother, the multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood.

1985

In 1985, they formed, the name referring to their usual rehearsal day in the school's music room.

After Abingdon, Selway studied English and history at Liverpool Polytechnic.

He also worked as a TEFL teacher, a copyeditor, and as a drummer in pit bands for touring musicals.

1991

In 1991, On a Friday signed a recording contract with EMI and changed their name to Radiohead.

1992

They found early success with their 1992 single "Creep".

1997

Their third album, OK Computer (1997), brought them international fame and is often acclaimed as one of the best albums of all time.

2000

With their fourth album, Kid A (2000), Radiohead began integrating drum machines and other electronic percussion into their music.

Selway said this widened his options and pushed him to create new dynamics, enabling him to express himself more creatively.

Describing the process of arranging electronic tracks such as "Idioteque" for live performance, he said: "Trying to give that sense of the electronic in the piece but doing it through your 'normal' instrument playing — that naturally develops your own musical voice ... Performing those songs live definitely affected how I sounded and how I would approach drum parts."

2008

In 2008, Mojo wrote that Selway and Colin Greenwood were "surely the most inventive rhythm section working close to the rock mainstream".

2010

In 2010, Selway released his debut solo album, Familial, comprising folk music.

Selway's debut solo album, Familial, was released on 30 August 2010.

It features Selway on acoustic guitar and vocals, and performances from the Wilco members Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone and the 7 Worlds Collide artists Lisa Germano and Sebastian Steinberg.

Pitchfork described it as a collection of "hushed" folk songs in the tradition of Nick Drake.

2011

Since 2011, Radiohead have performed with a second drummer, Clive Deamer.

By 2011, Radiohead had sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

Selway began a solo tour in 2011.

On 25 July, he released an EP, Running Blind, comprising songs left off Familial rerecorded with a full band.

2012

Describing their collaboration during Radiohead's 2012 King of Limbs tour, Selway said: "One [of us] played in the traditional way, the other almost mimicked a drum machine. It was push-and-pull, like kids at play, really interesting."

2014

It was followed by Weatherhouse in 2014 and Strange Dance in 2023.

Selway's second solo album, Weatherhouse, was released on 6 October 2014, featuring more ambitious instrumentation and electronic elements.

2017

He also composed the soundtrack for the 2017 film Let Me Go.

In 2023, Selway played drums with the band Lanterns on the Lake.

In 2017, Selway composed the score for the feature film Let Me Go, directed by Polly Steele.

His third solo album, Strange Dance, was released on 24 February 2023.

2019

Selway was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Radiohead in 2019.

Selway contributed drums to "Impossible Knots" on Yorke's third solo album, Anima (2019).

In 2019, Selway testified at an inquest into the 2012 stage collapse that killed Radiohead's drum technician, Scott Johnson.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2019.

In a speech at the induction ceremony, 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."