Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician and songwriter, best known as the
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
and
backing vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(with
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
Ed O'BrienEdward John O'Brien is a member of Radiohead. He plays guitar and is responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
) of English
alternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
groupRock band redirects here. For the video game series, see Rock Band A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music...
RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992...
. He also drums, plays
guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
and provides backing and occasional lead vocals for
7 Worlds Collide7 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....
. Selway is known for his precision and proficiency in various styles and unusual time signatures.
In 2008, Gigwise named Selway the 26th greatest drummer of all time.
Before Radiohead became successful, Selway studied Literature Life and Thought (English and History) at Liverpool Polytechnic's CF Mott Campus near Prescot prior to it being renamed
Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores University is a modern university in Liverpool, England. It is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining University status in 1992....
.
Philip James Selway (born 23 May 1967) is an
EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
musician and songwriter, best known as the
drummerA drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
and
backing vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
(with
guitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as acoustic guitars, electric guitars, classical guitars and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :...
Ed O'BrienEdward John O'Brien is a member of Radiohead. He plays guitar and is responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
) of English
alternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music that emerged in the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s...
groupRock band redirects here. For the video game series, see Rock Band A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music...
RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992...
. He also drums, plays
guitarThe guitar is a musical instrument with ancient roots that adapts readily to a wide variety of musical styles. It typically has six strings, but four-, seven-, eight-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars also exist. The size and shape of the neck and the base of the guitar...
and provides backing and occasional lead vocals for
7 Worlds Collide7 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....
. Selway is known for his precision and proficiency in various styles and unusual time signatures.
In 2008, Gigwise named Selway the 26th greatest drummer of all time.
Radiohead
Before Radiohead became successful, Selway studied Literature Life and Thought (English and History) at Liverpool Polytechnic's CF Mott Campus near Prescot prior to it being renamed
Liverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool John Moores University is a modern university in Liverpool, England. It is named after John Moores and was previously called Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts and later Liverpool Polytechnic before gaining University status in 1992....
. Before that he had worked for various touring musicians and worked as an
EnglishEnglish studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
teacher as well. In the very early '90s, Selway left Radiohead's early lineup (then called Shindig or On a Friday) to move to Ireland, and only returned to the band when a relationship fell apart.
His timing and varied drumming helps to give the band its sound. Whereas his technique on earlier albums such as
Pablo HoneyPablo Honey, released in early 1993, is the first album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. The cover features the baby Tim Coates, the son of close friends of the band. The title comes from a Jerky Boys prank call skit in which the prank caller says, "Pablo, honey? Please come to...
and
The BendsThe Bends is the second album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 13 March 1995. The Bends was produced by John Leckie at EMI's studios in London, and it was engineered by Nigel Godrich, who would later go on to produce future albums with the band...
corresponded to the classic rock feel of the band's original style, the more experimental and atmospheric feel of their more recent work has been complemented by Selway's transition to a more solid, repetitive technique, often featuring a
motorikMotorik is a term coined by music journalists to describe the 4/4 beat often used by "Krautrock" bands such as Neu! and Kraftwerk...
sound.
Apart from his regular band duties, Selway also occasionally sings backing
vocalsSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. A person who sings is called a singer or vocalist...
during live performances, especially notable on "
There There"There There" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured on their album Hail to the Thief and released prior to the album as its first single. "There There" reached number four in the UK Singles Chart and number one in Canada...
", "2+2=5", "
I Will"I Will" is a song by The Beatles that was released on The Beatles. It was written by Paul McCartney and features him on lead vocal, guitar, and "vocal bass".-Recording:...
" and "
Go to Sleep"Go to Sleep" is a song by Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth album Hail to the Thief in 2003. The song has an initial time signature of 4/4, which alternates with 6/8 time throughout the duration of the song. The alternate title for the song as listed on the track listing...
". Since the album
Kid AKid A is the fourth album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the UK. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A became the first Radiohead...
, he has also contributed
drum machineA drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums and/or other percussion instruments. Drum machines are very useful instruments for a wide variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
programming.
Selway has studied drums in London at Drumtech under the tutelage of Francis Seriau along with fellow Radiohead member
Ed O'BrienEdward John O'Brien is a member of Radiohead. He plays guitar and is responsible for harmony vocals during live concerts and on many tracks from the band's albums...
.
Work outside of Radiohead
Selway has been associated with emotional support group
SamaritansSamaritans is a registered charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in distress or at risk of suicide throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, often through their telephone helpline. The name comes from the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, though the organisation is not...
as a listening volunteer since 1991. He performed with the band Dive Dive in
March 2005'March 2005' : ← - January 2005 - February 2005 - March - April 2005 - May 2005 - June 2005 - July 2005 - August 2005 - September 2005 - October 2005 - November 2005 - December 2005 - →-Events:...
and appeared in the movie
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as a member of the band "The Weird Sisters" along with Radiohead bandmate
Jonny GreenwoodJonathan Richard Guy Greenwood is a BAFTA and Grammy-nominated musician and composer-in-residence for the BBC, best known as a member of English alternative rock group Radiohead. Greenwood is a multi-instrumentalist, but serves mainly as a guitarist and keyboard player. He is the younger brother...
and
PulpPulp were an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Upon their split in 2002, their lineup consisted of Jarvis Cocker , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks ....
frontman
Jarvis CockerJarvis Branson Cocker is an English musician and former frontman for the band Pulp. Through his work with the band, Cocker became a figurehead of the Britpop movement of the mid-1990s.-Biography:...
.
Selway has also toured and recorded with
Neil FinnNeil Mullane Finn, OBE is a singer and songwriter and one of New Zealand's foremost popular musicians. He was the co-frontman, along with his brother Tim Finn, for Split Enz and is now frontman for Crowded House...
as part of the 7 Worlds Collide project. He drummed on their eponymous
2001 live album7 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....
, and provides drums, guitar and occasional lead vocals on their 2009 studio album,
The Sun Came OutThe Sun Came Out is a charity studio album released on 31st August 2009 by New Zealand singer/songwriter Neil Finn for the benefit of Oxfam. The album was recorded at Neil Finn's Roundhead Studios and is a follow up to the 7 Worlds Collide live album of 2001...
, where he also penned two tracks.
He appears on two tracks - "Rest on the Rock" and "Out of Light" - on the album,
Before the RuinBefore the Ruin is a studio album by Kris Drever, John McCusker and Roddy Woomble, released 15 September 2008 through Navigator Records. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at #156 and the Scottish Albums chart at #45...
, by
Roddy WoombleRoderick "Roddy" Woomble is the lead singer of Scottish rock band, Idlewild and a solo contemporary folk musician. To date, Woomble has released five full-length studio albums with Idlewild, and one critically acclaimied solo album, My Secret is My Silence...
,
Kris DreverKris Drever is a Scottish contemporary folk musician and songwriter, who came to prominence in 2006 with the release of his debut solo album, Black Water...
and
John McCuskerJohn McCusker 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 producer for singer-songwriter Kate Rusby...
, and is currently recording a solo album.
In 2009 Selway played on guitarist Martin Simpson's studio album "True Stories".
On 15 September 2009, NME reports that Selway will release a solo album. The album will feature Wilco members
Glenn KotcheGlenn Kotche is an American drummer and composer, best known for his involvement in the band Wilco.Prior to working with Wilco, Kotche released a four-track albumentitled Introducing. In 2003, he released a second solo album titled...
and
Pat SansonePat Sansone is a multi-instrumentalist in the rock bands Wilco and The Autumn Defense.Sansone was born in Meridian, Mississippi...
as well as fellow
7 Worlds Collide7 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....
artists
Lisa GermanoLisa Germano is an American singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has released seven albums featuring her often-hushed vocal style, confessional lyrics, and distinctive violin. Her 1994 album Geek the Girl received widespread critical acclaim, including being featured as a top album of...
and
Sebastian SteinbergSebastian Steinberg is an American bass player, best known for his work in the band Soul Coughing. Steinberg played with the band throughout its entire history, from 1992-2000. He also recorded and performed with guitarist Marc Ribot and appeared on William Shatner's 2004 second album Has Been...
.
Personal life
Selway was born in
AbingdonAbingdon is a market town and civil parish in Oxfordshire in Southern England. It is the seat of the Vale of White Horse district. Previously the county town of Berkshire, Abingdon is one of several places which claim to be Britain's oldest continuously occupied town...
,
BerkshireBerkshire is a county in the South East of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1958, and Letters...
(now
OxfordshireOxfordshire is a county in the South East England region, bordering on Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and Warwickshire....
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
). He has a wife, Cait, and three children: Leo, Jamie, and Patrick (to whom
Kid AKid A is the fourth album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead, released in October 2000. A commercial success worldwide, Kid A went platinum in its first week of release in the UK. Despite the lack of an official single or music video as publicity, Kid A became the first Radiohead...
,
AmnesiacAmnesiac is the fifth studio album by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It was released on 4 June 2001 in the United Kingdom, debuting at #1 on the UK charts and #2 on the Billboard Top 200. Amnesiac featured more audible guitar than its direct predecessor Kid A, and unlike that album,...
, and
Hail to the ThiefHail to the Thief is the sixth studio album by English alternative rock band Radiohead, released on 9 June 2003. It debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and at number three in the United States, where it sold a greater number of copies in its first week than any of Radiohead's albums to date...
were dedicated, respectively).
His mother Thea died during a Radiohead tour in middle May 2006. The band cancelled one of their dates in
AmsterdamAmsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west of the country...
, so that Selway could carry out his family duties:
Just wanted to say sorry to the people who were due to come to our show in Amsterdam last night, particularly those who made wasted journeys. My mum died suddenly in the early hours of yesterday morning and so I just wanted to be at home with my family. Mum was a big Radiohead fan, and was very proud of all we've done as a band. I love and miss her very much.
The band later returned to Amsterdam in August to play the missed show. The discbox and CD release of
In RainbowsIn Rainbows is the seventh studio album by English alternative rock band Radiohead. It was first released on 10 October 2007 as a digital download, followed by a standard CD release in most countries during the last week of 2007. The album was released in North America on 1 January 2008...
mentions a dedication to Thea Selway.
External links