Radiohead worked on The King of Limbs intermittently from May 2009 to January 2011 with producer Nigel Godrich. The sessions included three weeks at Drew Barrymore's home in Los Angeles in early 2010. The band aimed to avoid the lengthy recording process of their previous album, In Rainbows. Thom Yorke expressed that they felt the need to continue for new reasons. Cover artist Stanley Donwood noted that while In Rainbows was a definitive statement, they wanted this album to be more transitory. Jonny Greenwood stated that they sought a third approach, avoiding both traditional guitar chord sequences and sitting in front of a computer, focusing instead on playing and programming.

Radiohead makes music for people who have trouble asking for ketchup at McDonalds.