Forget Radiohead — Jonny Greenwood’s Next Project Involves Olive Oil

No, that's not a musical metaphor

Jonny Greenwood
Jonny Greenwood of the English rock band The Smile performs in concert during Noches del Botanico music festival at Real Jardín Botánico Alfonso XIII.
Mariano Regidor/Redferns

As contemporary musicians go, Jonny Greenwood could be aptly described as a polymath. His work on guitar in Radiohead and The Smile has earned him critical and commercial success, and his forays into film music have brought him two Academy Award nominations in the last decade. For listeners wondering what Greenwood’s next creative foray would be, there’s now an answer — and it’s not what you might expect.

Pitchfork reports that Greenwood is getting into the olive oil business. As the article explains, Greenwood owns an Italian farm where he’s lived since 2015. That farm produces olive oil, and this year it produced enough for it to be viable to sell.

Greenwood Oil can be purchased via Radiohead’s online store — though it can only be shipped to U.K. addresses. Stanley Donwood, a frequent collaborator with both the band and its individual members, created the artwork seen on the packaging.

In a post on Twitter, Greenwood addressed both the launch of the oil and the elephant in the room. “It’s only a few bottles, but I’m really proud of the final product, for all that this is what rockstarsofacertainage* seem to drift into doing,” he wrote.

How the Grimy DIY Gods of 2000s Indie Rock Became … Film Composers?
Whether it’s playing a house party or scoring a film, Dan Deacon and Bryce Dessner keep making their weird art

“It’s Sting we’re all thinking of,” he clarified at the bottom of the post.

Still, it’s hard to argue with a well-made olive oil. And Greenwood’s history to date does suggest a willingness to experiment and push himself out of his comfort zone — something that bodes well for the oil in question. And for those who prefer Greenwood in a more rock-oriented configuration, The Smile will be touring North America later this year.

MEET US AT YOUR INBOX. FIRST ROUND'S ON US.

Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.