The video for The Smile‘s song “Friend of a Friend,” directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, is now available to watch on YouTube, following its premiere in independent cinemas.
The video shows a bunch of kids gathering for a school assembly, where the entertainment is the Radiohead offshoot band. The kids seem pretty bored by the performance until a loud bit at the end, which makes them all start to cheer. Then, they go back to being bored until the song ends, and they all applaud.
The video premiered during the theatrical event Wall of Eyes, on Film, which screened in movie theaters from January 18 through 25. The event included a full album playback in surround sound as well as behind-the-scenes footage of the recording sessions and various The Smile, Radiohead and Thom Yorke videos.
Anderson also directed the video for “Wall of Eyes,” the title track of The Smile’s new album. He previously collaborated with the band’s Jonny Greenwood on music for several films, including There Will be Blood and Phantom Thread.
Wall of Eyes, the follow-up to The Smile’s first album, A Light for Attracting Attention, is out Friday, January 26.
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