While the rest of the world was engrossed in the ingenious of OK Computer back in 1997, Radiohead were falling apart, saying later that the overwhelming success nearly ended the band.

Exactly ten years later, history repeated itself in more ways than originally thought. The band released their seventh record, In Rainbows, that again revolutionised music by protesting the digital age.

It was a second coming for the English 5-piece but it, too, nearly resulted in the end of one of the most iconic bands of the last two decades.

“The recording took nearly three years,” the band’s guitarist Ed O’Brien told Midem.com.

“It pretty much nearly half killed us, whether we would continue was definitely in the balance.”

While Radiohead has never revealed whether the decision to have their fans decide how much they wanted to pay for the album online was a financial success, O’Brien says it was the positive response from fans that kept the band together.

“It was empowering, you can’t put it onto a balance sheet, this feeling of empowerment. It completely rejuvenated us as a band.”

O’Brien remains critical of illegal file sharing, saying that the issue lies within the licensing and pricing of music.

“It’s an analogue business model in a digital era, the business model needs to change and certain parties are scared of doing that.”

O’Brien also confirmed that the band were currently working on their new album, and without revealing too much information said “the vibe in the camp is fantastic.” Here’s hoping.

- Katherine Allan