Thom Yorke Opens Up on Facing a 'Massive Confidence Crisis' After Radiohead's Last Tour

Radiohead’s lead singer Thom Yorke shared that he went through a major crisis of confidence after the band finished their 2025 European reunion tour. It was Radiohead’s first time playing live in seven years, with shows in cities like London, Madrid, Bologna, Berlin, and Copenhagen. Even though Yorke enjoyed performing, he said that coming back to everyday life after the tour led to a long emotional struggle.

Thom Yorke © Rolling Stone

"It Took Me Months": Rebuilding Confidence Through Solo Work

Speaking in a candid new interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the singer detailed the heavy post-tour comedown he suffered once the dates wrapped up.

"After the [2025] Radiohead tour – even though in the middle of it, it was really fun – my response to it afterwards was to crash, like massively crash, in terms of self-confidence."

Yorke explained that it took a return to individual songwriting several weeks down the line to help him regain his footing.

"It took me months. It took me starting on my own record again two months later to go: 'Oh, OK. I’m good now. I’m fine.'"

Addressing his enduringly complex attitude toward his artistic output, he added:

"I just have a really odd relationship with it. And I’ve just grown used to that."

Conflicted Feelings Over Ivors Academy Fellowship

The interview also covered Yorke’s induction into the Fellowship of The Ivors Academy at the Ivor Novello Awards in May. Although this was a big honor, he said it made him feel unexpectedly distant, even though he respects many of the past winners.

"I'm in a slightly better place nowadays, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that something like getting an Ivor Novello fellowship was not deeply confusing for me."

Elaborating on why public accolades feel so uncomfortable, Yorke noted:

"I admire a lot of the people that they've given those awards to. Some of these people are my heroes. But I have a very, very strange relationship to ... God, this is really hard to explain. I have a very strange relationship to that element of my work ... "

Doing It for Family

Even though winning big music awards makes Yorke feel mostly detached, he said going to the ceremony was worth it because it made his loved ones proud, especially his wife Dajana and his children, Agnes and Noah.

"You probably saw Agnes and Noah at the Ivors. They were very emotional about it, and Dajana, my wife, was as well."

"I do it for them, because if they're emotional about it, OK, that's why I'm here. Because for me, I feel quite numb about it."

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