Thom Yorke tells Fresh Air that “Idioteque” was Jonny Greenwood's idea

Thom Yorke gave Jonny Greenwood the credit for a Radiohead song as Terry Gross's studio guest on NPR's Fresh Air on 12 July, the week his solo album The Eraser came out. Jonny had spent an afternoon in the band's studio and handed him a 50-minute DAT. Yorke found about 40 seconds in the middle he liked and built a song on it.

“Idioteque” wasn't my idea at all. It was Jonny's.

Thom Yorke¹

The piano chords that open The Eraser are Jonny's too. Yorke taped him playing them on a Dictaphone that cost about £20, possibly without Jonny noticing, and had to process the sound because the recording was so poor. Being handed someone else's material is still his favourite way into a song, he says, and the band still work that way.

He made the album with Nigel Godrich, mostly on a laptop, while Radiohead were on a break, and the others were happy for him to go. By the end of Hail to the Thief, he says, he had lost his confidence in everything. the coolest thing about it is it's really got my confidence back¹

Radiohead's contract with their label has run out, Gross told listeners, and while they try new songs on the road they are deciding whether to sign with a major or put their music out themselves.

Gross asked about his depression and he answered directly. It has done damage and it has been productive; these days he withdraws for a while when he needs to and manages it.

I choose to talk about it publicly because I've always had a problem with the fact that people call our music depressing

Thom Yorke¹

He was as blunt about the OK Computer tour, which stopped being fun halfway through, and would not accept Gross's point that people who had paid deserved better. I refused to still stand on the stage and pretend I was really into it when I wasn't.¹