Richard Ashcroft | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ashcroft performing in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | RPA |
| Born | Richard Paul Ashcroft (1971-09-11)11 September 1971 (age 54) Billinge, Lancashire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels |
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| Formerly of | The Verve |
Spouse | |
| Website | www |
Richard Paul Ashcroft (born 11 September 1971) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He formed thealternative rock bandthe Verve in 1990 and served as the sole songwriter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist throughout the band's lifetime.[1][2][3][note 1] In 2000, Ashcroft embarked on a solo career, releasing six UK top-three solo albums, includingAlone with Everybody,Keys to the World andThese People.[4][5][6]
Ashcroft's songwriting has been commended by theBritish Academy of Songwriters, Composers, and Authors twice with anIvor Novello Award.[7] The Verve'sUrban Hymns is one of the UK's best-selling albums of all time.[8] Ashcroft's work has influenced artists such asOasis,Coldplay, and theBritpop andindie rock genres.[9][10]Noel Gallagher of Oasis described Ashcroft as a "genius",[11] andChris Martin of Coldplay called him "the best singer in the world".[12]
On 10 October 2025, Ashcroft released his seventh studio album,Lovin' You.[13]
Ashcroft is the eldest child of office worker Frank and hairdresser Louise Ashcroft (née Baxter). He has two younger sisters.[14] In his childhood, Ashcroft was very shy, to the point that he had to be replaced in a school nativity play because of stage fright.[15] However, he was also known for wanting to make his classmates laugh.[1]
Ashcroft was adamant about recording songs from the radio, an alternative to the five-album collection his mother could afford.[1] The first record Ashcroft bought was"Just Like Starting Over", and followingJohn Lennon's death in 1980, he played"Imagine" on a loop.
In 1982, when Ashcroft was 11, his father died of abrain haemorrhage. He used music to deal with the tragedy.[1] He recalled "questioning" the nature of life while other children occupied themselves with age-appropriate activities,[16] thinking at the time "You're not supposed to feel this bad as a kid".[17]
Ashcroft attendedUp Holland High School in West Lancashire with future band matesSimon Jones,Peter Salisbury andSimon Tong.[18] He enrolled in Theatre Studies, English Literature, and Philosophy and Religion atWinstanley College. His teacher remembered him as "incredibly intelligent" but too dedicated to music to care about his grades.[19] There, he met future band mateNick McCabe.[14]
Ashcroft was an avidfootball player. He is listed in the 1998 Playfair Football Who's Who as having been on the books of Rotherham United playing junior football forWigan Athletic.[20] For some time, Ashcroft wanted to be a professional football player, idolisingGeorge Best, but as he grew older he lost interest in this, turning to music instead.[21]
Ashcroft formed the Verve in 1990 with Simon Jones and Pete Salisbury. When attending Winstanley College, he heard Nick McCabe playing guitar. Without knowing his physical appearance, he waited outside the cubicle to ask whoever was behind the sound to join his band. The band went through several name changes such as Raingarden until it finally settled on Verve. Their recording of the first album,A Storm in Heaven, consisted mainly of jam sessions with improvised lyrics, upon which Ashcroft then took and edited the usable parts and structured them into songs.[1] Ashcroft has said that the band was under the influence of LSD when they recorded the album.[22]
The band signed to Hut Records, during which time Ashcroft gained the sobriquet "Mad Richard".[23] They also became a part of the Britpop movement. The band split in 1995, and around this time Ashcroft wrote a collection of songs he intended to release as his first solo album.[24] However, by 1997 he had changed his mind and asked McCabe to return (alongside new member Tong), reforming the Verve and releasing the very successful albumUrban Hymns. Ashcroft was at the forefront of the band's popularity, receiving anIvor Novello Award for his songwriting[25] and being referred to by the press as "the unmistakable face of the Number One rock band in England".[26] The band's single "Bitter Sweet Symphony" reached number 12 on the US charts in 1998.[27] At the1998 Brit Awards, The Verve won the awards forBest British Group[28] andBest British Album (Urban Hymns).[29] The band appeared on the cover ofRolling Stone in March 1998.[30] At the1998 MTV Video Music Awards, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was nominated forVideo of the Year,Best Group Video, andBest Alternative Video.[31] In February 1999, "Bitter Sweet Symphony" was nominated for theGrammy Award for Best Rock Song.[32] In April 1999, it was announced that The Verve had again split up.[33]
In early 2007, Ashcroft made peace with McCabe and Jones and the Verve's reunion was announced in June. The band played gigs later that year and continued touring in 2008, headlining at several festivals around the world. A new album,Forth, was released in August.
In August 2009, the Verve broke up for the third time, as McCabe's drinking problem generated tensions within the group.[34]
Ashcroft's first solo single, "A Song for the Lovers", peaked at No. 3 in the UK chart in April 2000.[35] It was followed by the single "Money to Burn", which reached the UK Top 20 at No. 17.[35] The albumAlone with Everybody was released in June, reaching number 1 and receiving platinum status in the UK. Album reviews were generally positive.[36] In September, a third single was released, "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)", entering the charts at No. 21.[35] Richard does not publish his song lyrics in the inlay cards of his albums or singles, as he feels they are personal to him.
Ashcroft began work on his second album,Human Conditions, in 2002. The lead single, "Check the Meaning", was released in early October, and peaked at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart.[35] The album was released later that month and reached No. 3 in the UK Album Chart.[35] Reception to the album was generally positive. Review aggregating websiteMetacritic reports a normalised score of 61% based on 15 reviews. In response to negative reaction to the album,Coldplay'sChris Martin – a fan of both Ashcroft and the Verve – defended the album's merits which "made an impression" on Ashcroft.[37] The appreciation shown would later result in a support slot for Ashcroft, serving as the opening act for Coldplay during a European tour.[37] The album's second single, "Science of Silence", was released the following January and charted at No. 14 in the UK.[35] On 26 March, Ashcroft made his first live appearance of 2003 at London'sRoyal Albert Hall as part of the third annualTeenage Cancer Trust charity fundraising event,[38] before "Buy It in Bottles", the third and final single to be taken from the album, was released on 7 April, charting at No. 26.[35]
Aside from a limited number of appearances in 2003, Ashcroft was absent from the music business for about two years. He later explained this in 2006, stating that "[e]veryone got it into their heads over the last few years that I was in my ivory tower likeLennon, baking bread all day. The fact of the matter was that I was bringing up kids".[39]
Ashcroft began playing shows again in mid-2005, and, on 2 July at theLive 8 concert inHyde Park,Coldplay invited him to perform with them. They performed the Verve's hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony", after having rehearsed the song in Crystal Palace.Chris Martin introduced Ashcroft's performance of the song as "probably the best song ever written, and here's the best singer in the world",[20][37] helping to renew interest in Ashcroft. At Christmas 2005, a documentary entitledLive 8: A Bitter Sweet Symphony was aired on theBBC, featuring a portion of Ashcroft's performance as the show's opening soundtrack.
After the disintegration ofHut Records in 2004, Ashcroft signed toParlophone,[20] where he released his third solo album,Keys to the World, on 23 January 2006. The first single from the album, "Break the Night with Colour", was released on 9 January 2006, and entered theUK Singles Chart at number 3.[35] Following his performance at Live 8, Ashcroft was booked as a support act for Coldplay'sTwisted Logic Tour throughout North America and the UK, which started on 14 March inOttawa, Canada. Ashcroft saw the support slot as "a good chance to play to a significant amount of people and say, 'I’m back. And this is what I do'".[37]
The album's second single, "Music Is Power", charted at number 20.[35] On 18 April 2006, he recorded theLive from London EP, the ninth in a series of EPs released exclusively as digital downloads from Apple's iTunes Store. The EP was released six days later on 24 April. With the release ofKeys to the World, the general consensus was that Ashcroft was "back at the top of his musical game".[37] He announced his largest UK tour for years for May 2006, culminating in three nights at London'sBrixton Academy. Following the tour, Ashcroft had hoped to perform two "Homecoming" shows atWigan Athletic's 25,000-seaterJJB Stadium in June 2006, but was unable to do so as the proposed venue lacked the "appropriate licence".[40] As a consequence, he played atLancashire County Cricket Club inOld Trafford, in his biggest solo show up to then. He was supported by acts such asRazorlight andthe Feeling, whileDJ Shadow joined Ashcroft on stage to perform "Lonely Soul", theirUNKLE collaboration from 1998'sPsyence Fiction LP.[41] Another UK tour followed five months later, culminating in a show at Manchester's M.E.N. Arena on 30 November.[42] Ashcroft did not tourKeys to the World outside Europe.[42]
Ashcroft hinted at the possible release of a new version of "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)" for theBobby Moore Cancer Fund,[43] which would coincide withEngland's participation in the2006 Football World Cup, but the single never materialised. Instead, his next release was "Words Just Get in the Way", which charted lower than his previous single, peaking at No. 40 in the UK Singles Chart.[35] On 4 December, thedouble a-side"Why Not Nothing" / "Sweet Brother Malcolm" was released on limited edition 7" vinyl.[44]
Ashcroft played a solo show on 25 August 2008 as part of the Last Days of Summer Festival inBuckingham.[45] The Verve broke up for a third time sometime between the last rehearsals in late 2008 and the summer of 2009.
At that time, Ashcroft was contractually obligated to record another album for Parlophone.[46] A b-side compilation was considered a possibility, as Ashcroft's team asked the fans through his site about their feelings on such an album, but it's now very unlikely. In December 2009, Ashcroft contributed the lead soundtrack song for the documentaryThe Journey.[47] A video of the song was posted at Ashcroft's site.[48] Also, through his blogBRAIN, he stated that he would release a new album in 2010. Sources revealed he worked on a number of new songs in New York, Los Angeles and London with producerNo I.D., who Ashcroft sought after because he liked his work in theJay-Z song "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)" and read an interview where he states how many producers destroy records to boost sales.[49]
In 2010, Ashcroft formed a new band calledRPA & The United Nations of Sound, who released a promo single, "Are You Ready?", from their new album.[50] The albumUnited Nations of Sound (former working titleRedemption)[50] was released on Parlophone on 19 July 2010;[51] "Born Again", the first proper single from the album, was released on the same day.[52] The full album leaked on 15 July and the NME started streaming the album the following day. The new sound seems to emulate many of Richard's influences described over the years in interviews and seems to close a circle for his solo career. Strings, beats, rock-guitar-riffs, voice-loops, ballads and heroic-choir-anthems are the core of the album's sound with Ashcroft's craft for pop tunes and unique melody-making. Also found in the songs are the ever-present spiritual lyrics for Richard, although here in fuller form.
On 15 October 2010, Ashcroft released through his website a second fanclub-only track, "Here We Go Again". On the same day the song "Are You Ready?" was released as the first official single from the new album in the United States.[53][non-primary source needed] During the same month Ashcroft had signed with the record companyRazor & Tie in the United States. The radio edit of "Are You Ready?" is available for free on the US version of Ashcroft's website.
The albumUnited Nations of Sound was released across the Atlantic on 22 March 2011 under the name "Richard Ashcroft". The lead single "Are You Ready?" was featured over the closing credits of the filmThe Adjustment Bureau in March 2011, along with the new song "Future's Bright", written and performed specifically for the film's opening by Ashcroft and ten-time Oscar-nominated composerThomas Newman.[54]
For the US release of "Are You Ready?", Ashcroft and Big Life Management commissioned Giorgio Testi for the promo – created out of live footage from a show atShepherd's Bush Empire. The video premiered on 7 February on the official website of Pulse Films, the production company.[55]
On 1 March the song "Future's Bright" was premiered onStereogum.[56] On the official website of the movieThe Adjustment Bureau there is also a video created for the song by directorGeorge Nolfi.[57]
Ashcroft released his fifth studio album,These People, in May 2016. The album was followed by 2016 UK and Europe tour, an abbreviated North American tour, and—for the first time in Ashcroft's career—festival dates in Latin America.
In January 2018, it was confirmed that in June 2018, Ashcroft would be supportingLiam Gallagher at his two concerts in Malahide Castle and Gardens in Dublin and Belsonic at Ormeau Park in Belfast.[58] In March 2018, it was announced that Ashcroft would tour with Gallagher in North America in May 2018.[59] On 11 June 2018, it was announced that Ashcroft would support Gallagher at his show atLancashire County Cricket Club on 18 August 2018.[60]
In August 2018, Ashcroft announced his sixth solo album,Natural Rebel, which was released on 19 October, preceded by the single "Surprised By The Joy" in September and subsequent teasers "Born To Be Strangers" and "That's When I Feel It." The LP debuted at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart, its highest position.[61]
On February 19, 2021, he released a cover ofJohn Lennon's "Bring On the Lucie (Freda Peeple)"[62][63] (track 5 on Lennon's 1973 albumMind Games). On 29 October that year, he released his sixth album,Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1.[64] It features acoustic versions of Ashcroft's songs with The Verve and his solo career.[65] The album debuted at No. 2 on the UK Albums Chart, its peak position.[66]
On October 21, 2024, it was announced that Ashcroft would be the supporting act toOasis Live '25 UK reunion tour which sold out in 10 hours.[67][68]
On May 22, 2025, he released "Lover". The song is based on sample from "Love and Affection" byJoan Armatrading. In an interview withAbsolute Radio, he commented how he doesn't consider himself defined by any specific genre and just needs it to be "music". Per the song's new sound, he doesn't like to stale in his previous genres, as that would become like aXerox Machine that renders bad copies of something. He admires in the creation of music by sampling, how the sample takes on a life of its own and becomes new music.[69] The song was produced by Esme Ramazanoglu and was accompanied by an announcement of a new album,Lovin' You, which was released on October 10, 2025.[70][71]
Ashcroft is married toKate Radley, a former keyboardist ofSpiritualized.[72] They married in 1995 and it was years before it was publicly revealed that the pair had married. Together, they have two sons. The family lives inTaynton in Gloucestershire andRichmond in London.[17] Ashcroft and Radley have collaborated professionally throughout their marriage and toured together withColdplay in 2006.[73] Radley has been the source of inspiration for many of his songs, including "Sonnet" from the albumUrban Hymns.[74]
Ashcroft is aManchester United fan, and regularly attends matches.[75]
Ashcroft is good friends withNoel andLiam Gallagher of the bandOasis. For a long time the Gallagher brothers have expressed great respect for Ashcroft, with Noel Gallagher fondly nicknaming Ashcroft 'Captain Rock'. The Oasis track "Cast No Shadow", from the successful 1995 album(What's the Story) Morning Glory? is dedicated to him. Ashcroft in turn dedicated the title track ofA Northern Soul to Noel Gallagher.[76] Ashcroft also provided backing vocals on the Oasis song "All Around the World" in 1997, for Oasis'Be Here Now.
In a 2006 interview, Ashcroft mentioned takingProzac to help him with clinical depression, but said that it did not help, referring to the pills as "very, very synthetic." Ashcroft has said that he's always been "a depressive, someone who suffers from depression", and that music and creativity help him cope with his illness.[77]
Ashcroft has abstained from large-scale touring until his two sons have grown up for wanting to be present for his family[78] and has always preferred to stay out of commercial spotlights stating, "We're not a showbizy kind of band, we don't play the game where everyone else goes to specific parties to have their photograph taken, which sells magazines, that whole kind of game we're not really part of."[79]
Ashcroft has a sustained interest for the psychological and affectual influence music holds, stating, "A great pop song is as powerful as the best piece of poetry you have ever read and the melody can take you to another place."[80]
Ashcroft is well known for using string instrumentation in his songs. He considers it part of his "palette" and draws inspiration from such composers asEnnio Morricone,John Barry, andJohn Williams.[37]
A major influence on Ashcroft from childhood to adulthood has beenthe Beatles. Ashcroft recalls two out of the threeLPs his family owned when he was a child were the 1966 albumRevolver, and the Beatles compilation album1967–1970. He also recalls in his teens he used to watch an "unauthorised" video of the band on a loop. He has expressed a high regard forGeorge Harrison's work with the Beatles and his solo work, as well as praise for his moral ideals and distaste for the fake nature of the music industry.[81]
Ashcroft has highlightedthe Smiths as a major influence in his teens, citing the albumHatful of Hollow and the song "How Soon Is Now?" as having a profound impact on him.[1]
Ashcroft also holds a deep interest for cinema; when he was thirteen years of age, he was shown theJean-Luc Godard film1+1, which showedthe Rolling Stones creating a song. Ashcroft mentions this event as a turning point in his life view.[1]
In terms of literature, Ashcroft has been vastly influenced by the poet/polymathWilliam Blake. He has also mentioned poetPhillip Larkin andA.E. Housman as some of his favorite poets.[82]
A legal dispute was held over Ashcroft's song "Bitter Sweet Symphony" from the Verve's albumUrban Hymns, a song on which he was the sole band member to share a co-writing credit.[2] The song uses a sample ofAndrew Oldham Orchestra's recording ofthe Rolling Stones' 1965 song "The Last Time". The Verve had negotiated this legally, but the Rolling Stones'record company successfully sued and argued that they had used "too much". The Verve were subsequently forced to give ABKCO 100 percent of theroyalties[18] from "Bitter Sweet Symphony", andMick Jagger andKeith Richards were given songwriting credits along with Ashcroft.[2] Against Ashcroft's wishes, the song was used in a commercial advertisement; from this he received $175,000, but donated it all to charity despite it being the only revenue he had ever received from the song.[83] On 23 May 2019, Ashcroft announced that Jagger and Richards had signed over the rights to him, giving him sole writing credit and all subsequent royalties.[84][85]
| Year | Awards | Work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ivor Novello Awards | Himself | Songwriter of the Year | Won |
| Denmark GAFFA Awards | Best Foreign Songwriter[86] | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Mercury Prize | Alone with Everybody | Album of the Year | Nominated |
| NME Awards | Himself | Best Solo Artist | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | UK Music Video Awards | Live at Shepherds Bush Empire | Best Live Music Coverage | Nominated |
| 2017 | NME Awards | Himself | Best British Male | Nominated |
| 2019 | Global Awards | Best Indie | Nominated | |
| Ivor Novello Awards | Outstanding Contribution to British Music | Won |
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [87] | AUS [88] | AUT [89] | FRA [90] | GER [91] | ITA [92] | IRL [93] | NL [94] | SWI [95] | US [96] | ||||
| Alone with Everybody | 1 | 10 | 18 | 28 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 41 | 39 | 127 | |||
| Human Conditions |
| 3 | 70 | 48 | 67 | 14 | 24 | 11 | — | 51 | — |
| |
| Keys to the World |
| 2 | 54 | 7 | 78 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 49 | 7 | — | ||
| These People |
| 3 | — | 70 | 134 | 51 | 34 | 17 | 92 | 32 | — |
| |
| Natural Rebel |
| 4 | — | 71 | — | 82 | 42 | 18 | — | 47 | — | ||
| Acoustic Hymns Vol 1 |
| 2 | — | 64 | 194 | 37 | — | 23 | — | 39 | — | ||
| Lovin' You |
| 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 90 [100] | — | 83 | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [87] | AUT [89] | GER [91] | SWI [95] | ||
| United Nations of Sound[A] |
| 20 | 63 | 49 | 50 |
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Live from London |
|
| Rare Vibration/Guided Halls |
|
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [87] | AUT [89] | BEL (WA) [101] | CAN [102] | GER [91] | ITA [92] | IRL [93] | NL [94] | NZ [103] | SWI [95] | ||||
| "A Song for the Lovers" | 2000 | 3 | — | — | 6 | 82 | 9 | 11 | 83 | 42 | 78 | Alone with Everybody | |
| "Money to Burn" | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | — | — | — | |||
| "C'mon People (We're Making It Now)" | 21 | — | — | — | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Check the Meaning" | 2002 | 11 | — | — | 21 | 94 | 13 | 19 | — | — | — | Human Conditions | |
| "Science of Silence" | 2003 | 14 | — | — | — | — | 31 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Buy It in Bottles" | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Break the Night with Colour" | 2006 | 3 | 17 | 48 | — | 45 | 3 | 10 | 90 | — | 55 | Keys to the World | |
| "Music Is Power" | 20 | — | — | — | — | 42 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Words Just Get in the Way" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Why Not Nothing?" / "Sweet Brother Malcolm"[B] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Born Again"[A] | 2010 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | United Nations of Sound | |
| "Are You Ready?"[A] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "This Is How It Feels" | 2016 | 42 | — | — | — | — | 89 | — | — | — | — | These People | |
| "Hold On" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "They Don't Own Me" | — | — | — | — | — | 178 | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Out of My Body" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "These People" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Surprised by the Joy" | 2018 | 53 | — | — | 32 | — | 71 | — | — | — | — | Natural Rebel | |
| "Born to Be Strangers"[104] | — | — | — | 66 | — | 23 | 44 | — | — | — | |||
| "That's When I Feel It" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Bring On the Lucie (Freda Peeple)"[62] | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Standalone single | |
| "Lover"[105] | 2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Lovin' You | |
| "Lovin' You" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "The Journey"[C] | 2009 | standalone single |
| "Are You Ready?"[D] | 2010 | United Nations of Sound |
| "Future's Bright"[E] | 2011 | movie soundtrack |
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [106] | IRL [107] | ||||||||||||
| "Lonely Soul" (UNKLE, with Ashcroft on vocals) | 1998 | — | — | Psyence Fiction | |||||||||
| "The Test" (The Chemical Brothers, with Ashcroft on vocals) | 2002 | 14 | 36 | Come with Us | |||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
Notes
23 May 2019 17.58 BST Last modified on Thu 22.13 BST
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