Music | Richard Ashcroft to play Co-op Live

Gig News | Richard Ashcroft will play massive gig on 8th November

The announcement comes as Ashcroft confirms the release of his new album Lovin’ You, due out on 3 October. 

Author | Gaz Sheldon

It marks his seventh solo effort and his first album of new material since 2018’s Natural Rebel, following on from the reimagined classics of 2021’s Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1.

The record opens with its lead single Lover, which has already received national airplay. The track weaves in elements of Joan Armatrading’s Love and Affection, drawing praise from the artist herself. “I love how he’s used my song and I love his song,” she said.

Lovin’ You showcases Ashcroft’s musical breadth, ranging from soaring acoustic ballads and rousing indie anthems to touches of Americana, soul and glitch-inflected electronics. Lyrically, the album is deeply personal, exploring themes of love, connection and quiet resilience in the face of adversity.

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Ashcroft wrote the majority of the album and co-produced it with long-time collaborators Chris Potter and Emre Ramazanoglu. One standout, I’m A Rebel, was co-written and produced with Mirwais, best known for his work with Madonna.

The album is available to pre-order now in a variety of formats, including standard black vinyl, CD and digital. Exclusive coloured vinyl editions include neon orange via Ashcroft’s official store, regular orange through Amazon UK, and blue from selected independent retailers.

A two-time Ivor Novello Award winner, Ashcroft’s reputation as one of Britain’s leading songwriters was cemented with The Verve’s Urban Hymns, which produced a string of enduring hits and remains one of the UK’s biggest-selling albums. The band returned to the top of the charts with Forth and collected three BRIT Awards.

As a solo artist, Ashcroft’s debut Alone With Everybody went straight to number one, and all five of his subsequent albums have charted in the top five. Across his solo and Verve catalogue, he has achieved three UK number one albums, five additional top 10 records, a number one single and five other top 10 hits.

Ashcroft’s immediate plans

He has been embarking upon the biggest tour of the year as special guest to Oasis. His longstanding connection with the Gallagher brothers continues, with the singer joining them as special guest on all of their upcoming UK dates.