Phil Selway

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Selway's journey began at Abingdon School, where he was five years above Jonny Greenwood and two years ahead of Thom Yorke and Colin Greenwood. After forming 'On a Friday' in 1985, they rebranded as Radiohead in 1991. A pivotal moment arrived with Kid A (2000), where Selway embraced drum machines, stating this widened his options and pushed him to create new dynamics. He described arranging tracks like 'Idioteque' for live performance as a way to develop his own musical voice through normal instrument playing. During tours for The King of Limbs (2011) and A Moon Shaped Pool (2016), he performed alongside second drummer Clive Deamer, creating a push-and-pull dynamic where one played traditionally while the other mimicked a drum machine. Tragically, in June 2012, his technician Scott Johnson was killed when the stage collapsed at Downsview Park in Toronto; Selway later testified at an inquest into the collapse.

In Their Own Story

In 2008, Gigwise named Selway the 26th-greatest drummer, praising his 'mathematical precision,' while Mojo highlighted his rhythm section with Colin Greenwood as inventive. By 2011, Radiohead had sold over 30 million albums worldwide. For his solo work, Selway released Familial in 2010, a collection of folk songs featuring Wilco members Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone. He followed this with Weatherhouse (2014) before releasing Strange Dance in February 2023. Notably, he chose not to drum on Strange Dance, feeling out of practice, and enlisted Valentina Magaletti instead. In December 2023, he released Live at Evolution Studios, recorded with Chris Vatalaro and the Elysian Collective. His dedication extends beyond music; he volunteered as a Samaritans telephone listener for 17 years, stating it 'probably kept my sanity' during Radiohead's success. He also supported Independent Venue Week and signed a 2014 letter protesting guitar bans in British prisons.

Reader's Guide

Selway began learning drums and guitar at age 15, influenced by Joy Division, the Clash, and the Velvet Underground. After school, he studied English and history at Liverpool Polytechnic while working as a TEFL teacher, copyeditor, and pit band drummer. His solo songwriting emerged later in life when his material no longer fit Radiohead's sound. On 25 July 2011, he released the EP Running Blind, featuring rerecorded songs from Familial. In 2023, he contributed drums to Lanterns on the Lake's album Versions of Us after their previous drummer left, helping restore the band's confidence in the material. He also covered 'Fly' for a Nick Drake tribute album that year. For Radiohead's 2025 tour, Chris Vatalaro replaced Clive Deamer as the second drummer. Additionally, Selway contributed drums to Yorke's Anima (2019) and drummed on two tracks from O'Brien's Blue Morpho (2026).

Did You Know?

• Selway was five years older than Jonny Greenwood and two years older than Thom Yorke when they met at Abingdon School.
• He volunteered as a Samaritans telephone listener for 17 years, continuing even during the height of Radiohead's success.
• For his third solo album, Strange Dance (2023), Selway enlisted Valentina Magaletti because he felt out of practice on drums.
• In June 2012, Selway's drum technician Scott Johnson was killed when a stage collapsed at a show in Toronto.
• Selway appeared as part of the wizard rock band Weird Sisters in the 2005 film Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.