Drill (EP)


Drill is the debut extended play by English alternative rock group Radiohead, released in May 1992. It was Radiohead's first commercial release, and debuted on the UK charts at number 101. The original manufacturing run was limited to 3,000 CDs.

Background and recording

All of the tracks on the EP are demo versions. They were recorded at the Courtyard Studio in Oxon, England, produced and engineered by Chris Hufford, and mixed by Timm Baldwin. The band was still called On a Friday when the songs were recorded; they changed their name to Radiohead the following month.
"Thinking About You" was taken from the band's Manic Hedgehog demo tape, while "You" was a newer version; "Prove Yourself", "Thinking About You", and "You" were rerecorded for Pablo Honey in 1993, the band's first album.
"Prove Yourself" is notable for its U2-esque chord changes and unvarnished emotional vocals. "Stupid Car" is a slower song, almost a ballad, and the first of many dealing with Thom Yorke's distrust of vehicles since he and his girlfriend were involved in a car crash.

Release

"Prove Yourself" was played on BBC Radio 1 by Gary Davies after he received a copy of the EP. This was the band's first national radio exposure in the UK. The EP was released as the first four tracks on the bonus disc of the Collector's Edition of Pablo Honey, as well as on 12", 45RPM vinyl.
Radiohead added Drill to streaming services in January 2020.

Track listing

  1. "Prove Yourself" – 2:32
  2. "Stupid Car" – 2:25
  3. "You" – 3:22
  4. "Thinking About You" – 2:17

    Personnel