Richard Ashcroft will release his next solo album through BMG.
Ashcroft is an iconic figure in British music, both across his work as frontman of (The) Verve and as a solo artist.
Natural Rebel will be released on October 19 on Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, via BMG.
BMG says that pre-orders of the album, which launched today (August 15) through Ashcroft’s own website – tied to a ticket pre-sale opportunity for live shows – have already exceeded the lifetime D2C sales of his last LP.
Ashcroft’s previous solo album, These People, reached No.3 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart in 2016 and was released via Cooking Vinyl.
Richard Ashcroft said: “For me this is my strongest set of songs to date. All my favourite sounds distilled into something that will hopefully give my fans lasting pleasure. It is for them. Music is power.”
Alistair Norbury, President Repertoire & Marketing at BMG UK said: “Richard Ashcroft is the archetype of the kind of iconic artist BMG likes to work with. Natural Rebel marks a new peak in Richard’s solo work and it is incredible to see how fans are already responding – the pre-orders this morning have been extraordinary.”
“Natural Rebel marks a new peak in Richard’s solo work and it is incredible to see how fans are already responding – the pre-orders this morning have been extraordinary.”
Alistair Norbury, BMG
Other Ashcroft solo records include Alone With Everybody (which reached No.1 in the UK in 2000), Human Conditions (#3, 2002), Keys to the World (#2,2006) and These People (#3, 2016).
Featuring ten new songs, all of which were written by Ashcroft, Natural Rebel was produced by the singer-songwriter alongside Jon Kelly (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush) and Emre Ramazanoglu (Bobby Gillespie, Jarvis Cocker).
Ashcroft is set to play as special guest to Liam Gallagher at Lancashire County Cricket Club this coming Saturday, August 18, as well as the Hampshire leg of Carfest in benefit of BBC Children in Need on August 25.
To support the release of the new album, he will play a series of intimate shows at Glasgow Barrowlands (Oct 26), Middlesborough Town Hall (Oct 28), Nottingham Rock City (Oct 29), Manchester Albert Hall (Oct 31) and London Kentish Town Forum (Nov 2).
[Picture credit: Robin Pope]Music Business Worldwide
