News
The Album First Came Out on June 21, 1993
Jun 21, 2023
By Mark Lager
During seven weeks at Sawmills Studio on the River Fowey in Golant, Cornwall, four young men in the band Verve (singer Richard Ashcroft and guitarist Nick McCabe were only 21 years old) recorded their debut album with producer John Leckie, who had previously worked as an audio engineer for Pink Floyd in the 1970s. These seven weeks of recording resulted in 10 tracks that are deeply numinous and often oceanic. More
Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 Due Out October 29 via RPA/BMG
Sep 08, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Richard Ashcroft, formerly of The Verve, has announced Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1, a new album featuring new acoustic versions of some of his previous songs, and shared its first single, a new seven-minute acoustic version of his most iconic song, “Bittersweet Symphony.” The new version still features strings. Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 is due out October 29 via RPA/BMG. More
Shared via a Video Filmed at Abbey Road
Feb 19, 2021
By Mark Redfern
Richard Ashcroft, formerly of The Verve, has shared a new cover of John Lennon’s “Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple).” It was shared via a video shot at Abbey Road studios, where, of course, The Beatles used to record. More
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards Have Finally Agreed to Give the Former Frontman of The Verve His Due
May 23, 2019
By Christopher Roberts
One of the bigger music industry injustices of the 1990s has finally been rectified: Richard Ashcroft has been given back the songwriting credits and publishing rights to his most famous song “Bittersweet Symphony,” by his former band The Verve, returned to him by The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. More
Natural Rebel Out Now via RPA and BMG
Oct 22, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) released a new solo album, Natural Rebel, last week via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. Now he has shared a video for previous single “Born to Be Strangers.” Ashcroft self-directed the video, which features him dancing in front of a classic car (perhaps it’s his own car). More
Natural Rebel Out Now via RPA and BMG
Oct 19, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) has released a new solo album, Natural Rebel, today via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. Now that the album is out, you can stream the whole thing here. More
Natural Rebel Due Out October 19 via RPA and BMG
Oct 10, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) is releasing a new solo album, Natural Rebel, on October 19 via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. Now he has shared another song from the album, the string-backed feel good anthem “That’s When I Feel It.” More
Natural Rebel Due Out October 19 via RPA and BMG
Oct 05, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) is releasing a new solo album, Natural Rebel, on October 19 via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. Now he has shared a new non-album track, the acoustic song “Hey Columbo.” He has also announced some new UK tour dates for next April. More
Natural Rebel Due Out October 19 via RPA and BMG
Sep 26, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) is releasing a new solo album, Natural Rebel, on October 19 via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. Previously he shared a video for the album’s first single, “Surprised by the Joy” (which was an honorable mention in our Songs of the Week list). Now he has shared another song from the album, “Born to Be Strangers,” which has kind of a classic rock/1970s vibe to it. More
Natural Rebel Due Out October 19 via RPA and BMG
Sep 10, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) is releasing a new solo album, Natural Rebel, on October 19 via Ashcroft’s own label, RPA, and BMG. When the album was announced no music from it was shared, but now Ashcroft has revealed the album’s first single, “Surprised by the Joy,” via a video for the song. More
Natural Rebel Due Out October 19 via RPA and BMG
Aug 15, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Richard Ashcroft (formerly of The Verve) has announced a new solo album, Natural Rebel, and some UK tour dates. More
ShadowParty Due Out July 27 via Mute
May 01, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
ShadowParty is a new band that features members of New Order and Devo, among other bands. They have announced their self-titled debut album and shared its first single, “Celebrate.” More
Gallagher’s As You Were Out Now via Warner Bros.
Mar 19, 2018
By Christopher Roberts
Former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher released his debut solo album, As You Were, last October via Warner Bros. Now he has announced some North American tour dates for this summer and they feature support from Richard Ashcroft of The Verve. More
Urban Hymns Reissue Out Now, But These Tracks Aren't on There
Sep 22, 2017
By Christopher Roberts
The Verve recently put out a deluxe 20th anniversary reissue of the British band’s classic 1997 album Urban Hymns (the one with “Bittersweet Symphony,” “The Drugs Don’t Work,” and “Lucky Man” on it). It includes various unreleased tracks and demos, but now, as Stereogum reports, even more unreleased tracks not included in the reissue have mysteriously surfaced on YouTube. More
A Storm in Heaven Reissue Due Out September 9
Aug 16, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Last week The Verve shared a video for the previously unreleased song “South Pacific,” taken from the deluxe reissue of their 1993 debut album, A Storm in Heaven. Now the band has shared the other previously unreleased studio recording from the reissue, “Shoeshine Girl.” More
Previously Unreleased Track from A Storm in Heaven Reissue Due Out September 9
Aug 13, 2016
By Christopher Roberts
Listeners who only know The Verve of “Bittersweet Symphony” and their 1997 hit third album Urban Hymns might be surprised to hear their debut album, 1993’s A Storm in Heaven, which was more shoegaze/space-rock in nature than the songs and album that later topped the charts. The album is finally getting the deluxe reissue treatment, alongside 1995 sophomore album A Northern Soul, on September 9 and the 4CD set includes two previously unreleased studio recordings: “Shoeshine Girl” and “South Pacific.” The latter now has a music video featuring footage of the band recording A Storm in Heaven captured by its producer John Leckie. More
'United Nations of Sound' Due March 2011
Feb 18, 2011
By Lauren Barbato
The Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft returns with United Nations of Sound, his first solo effort in four years. We have the info, plus a free download. More
Interviews
Sep 02, 2008
By Marcus Kagler
The fact that The Verve’s 1997 breakthrough mainstream hit was a song called “Bittersweet Symphony” is apt in almost every way. Not only did the track catapult the little-known and criminally ignored band from Wigan, England into superstardom, it also epitomized their future (or lack thereof) and proved to be a fitting epitaph for a band on the cusp of continually falling apart. Indeed, when “Bittersweet Symphony” became a hit, it already seemed that The Verve’s days were numbered. More
Reviews
Dec 19, 2017
By Matthew Berlyant
In 1997, there were three monumental British albums that caught the imagination of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. While Radiohead (on their way to becoming one of the world’s biggest bands) released the career-making OK Computer and Spiritualized put out the groundbreaking Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space, The Verve took angsty lyrics, their own much improved songwriting from Richard Ashcroft, and Funkadelic/CAN-like fuzz and repetition to the top of the U.K. charts and made a significant dent in the American charts as well on the back of songs like “Bitter Sweet Symphony.” More
