Richard Ashcroft, vocalist of The Verve, returns to share “Lover,” his first single since his 2018 album Natural Rebel. “Lover” arrives ahead of the rocker’s big summer, where he will be joining Oasis on their highly anticipated reunion tour for the UK and Ireland dates.
Written by Richard and co-produced alongside Emre Ramazanoglu, “Lover” incorporates elements of one of Richard’s all-time favorite works, “Love and Affection” by Joan Armatrading, whom he approached before recording the arrangement. The track represents his first new material since his 2018 album Natural Rebel debuted at #4 on the UK Official Album Chart. Since then, Richard also released the career-spanning Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 set, which hit #2 and became his highest charting record in fifteen years.
Richard’s vision for an immersive project was realized with a mobile LED virtual production courtesy of CUBE StudioX. It matched the emotion of Richard’s songwriting and performance by surrounding him with striking visuals displayed on an 18 x 4 meter led volume in a large studio space. The video was co-produced by Roy Kimani, CUBE Studio’s co-founder and Director of Innovation.
A two-time Ivor Novello Award winner (Songwriter of the Year and Outstanding Contribution To British Music), Richard Ashcroft has become one of the most accomplished and influential songwriters around over the course of a career that spans three decades. His first chapter with The Verve reached a remarkable peak with Urban Hymns, a hit-laden set (“Bitter Sweet Symphony,” “The Drugs Don’t Work,” “Lucky Man,” “Sonnet”) which is one of the biggest selling albums in UK history with 11 x Platinum certifications. The band achieved a second #1 album with Forth and won three BRIT Awards.
His solo career continued that acclaim with his debut Alone With Everybody shooting to #1 and all five subsequent studio albums landing between #2 and #5. Between The Verve and his solo work, he has achieved three UK #1 albums and another five Top 10 records, plus a #1 single and five Top 10 hits.
News of Richard’s special guest set on the upcoming Oasis tour continues a long-term mutual admiration between the two. The Verve and Oasis played shows together both before Oasis’s breakthrough and at their absolute peak, leading to a continuing friendship between Richard and the Gallagher brothers. Noel dedicated “Cast No Shadow” from (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? to Richard, before Richard provided backing vocals on All Around The World from 1997’s Be Here Now. In 2021 Liam featured on a reworked version of Richard’s “C’mon People (We’re Making It Now).”
Check out “Lover” and see full live dates supporting Oasis below.
Richard Ashcroft Upcoming Live Dates
7/4 – Cardiff, UK @ Principality Stadium
7/5 – Cardiff, UK @ Principality Stadium
7/11 – Manchester, UK @ Heaton Park
7/12 – Manchester, UK @ Heaton Park
7/16 – Manchester, UK @ Heaton Park
7/19 – Manchester, UK @ Heaton Park
7/20 – Manchester, UK @ Heaton Park
7/25 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
7/26 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
7/30 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
8/2 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
8/3 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
8/8 – Edinburgh, UK @ Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
8/9 – Edinburgh, UK @ Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
8/12 – Edinburgh, UK @ Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium
8/16 – Dublin, IRE @ Croke Park
8/17 – Dublin, IRE @ Croke Park
9/27 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
8/28 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium
5/25 – Stevenage, UK @ SMR 2025 at Lamex Stadium
6/7 – São Paulo, BR @ Blues & Rock Festival
6/19 – Oxfordshire, UK @ Blenheim Palace
7/27 – Newmarket, UK @ Racecourses
8/23 – Cornwall, UK @ Live at Scorrier House
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