“We didn’t really tune our guitars. We’d tune to the track. He’s like, ‘No, listen to what you’re playing’”: IDLES explain why Radiohead’s producer banned them from using guitar tuners

Oe Talbot, Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan of IDLES perform live on stage at O2 Academy Brixton on January 16, 2022 in London, England.

For their fifth studio album, TANGK, IDLES went down a slightly different sonic route, enlisting Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich's expertise to shape their record. One of Godrich's recommendations? Not tuning their guitars.

“On this album, we didn’t really tune our guitars. We’d tune to the track,” reveals guitarist Mark Bowen in the new issue of Total Guitar. “Nigel wouldn’t allow us to use tuners. We’d go, ‘I’ll just tune that.’ And he’s like, ‘No, listen to what you’re playing.’ So it wouldn’t be like a strict 440hz across the across the strings.”