The gentlemen of Radiohead today surprised the Internet with the release of a brand-new charity single, announced without warning on the band’s blog. “Harry Patch (In Memory Of)” is a tribute to Patch, one of the last surviving veterans of World War I before he died last weekend, at the age of 111. Thom Yorke says he was inspired to write the string-heavy track by an emotional 2005 BBC interview in which Patch described the horrors of war. Apparently, it was recorded, by chance, “a few weeks before his death,” which means Radiohead is in the studio actually getting some work done in the studio and might (we hope) soon surprise us by releasing a song with some guitars. You can buy the song at Radiohead’s website (proceeds to go the British Legion) and listen below.
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