News
Ed O'Brien steps forward under his own name on Blue Morpho
By Editorial Team · May 22, 2026
Summary
Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien releases Blue Morpho via Transgressive, his second solo album and first under his own name, a healing record about emergence from depression and the shadow of a mythologized band.
Key Facts
- Category: News
- Published: May 22, 2026
- Tags: ed-obrien, radiohead, blue-morpho, transgressive, alternative
Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien releases Blue Morpho on 22 May via Transgressive, his second solo album and the first issued under his own name rather than the EOB moniker. That naming shift is small but meaningful. O'Brien has spoken about no longer wanting to hide, and Blue Morpho sounds framed around emergence: from depression, from hesitation, from the shadow of one of the most mythologized bands in alternative music.
Produced by Paul Epworth and Riley MacIntyre, the album features contributions from Shabaka Hutchings, Tonu Korvits, Philip Selway, Dave Okumu and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. The title refers to the butterfly as a symbol of transformation, and the tracklist includes Incantations, Blue Morpho, Sweet Spot, Teachers, Solfeggio, Thin Places and Obrigado.
The project is also accompanied by the short film Blue Morpho: The Three Act Play.
For indie and alternative readers, the release matters because it asks what happens when a musician known for texture, atmosphere and ensemble chemistry becomes more visible as a songwriter. O'Brien does not need to compete with Radiohead here. Blue Morpho is a healing record, but not in a soft greeting-card way. It is about crawling through darkness and deciding to be seen. Source: https://pitchfork.com/news/ed-obrien-announces-new-solo-album-blue-morpho