Richard Ashcroft

After the unceremonious split of Britpop legends The Verve in 1999, frontman and songwriter "Mad" Richard Ashcroft re-emerged with a sack of songs and the same love of hazy, psych-tinged, 1960s guitar pop. Full of charisma, a wild streak and a talent for penning some of the most heartfelt anthems of his era, his influence spread to the likes Oasis, Coldplay and Kasabian and his return was eagerly awaited. Debut solo single "A Song for the Lovers" shot straight to Number 3 in the UK and Alone With Everyone (2000) topped the album charts as his new material was widely acclaimed by the critics. A settled family life and a growing sense of optimism contributed to a vibrant, positive sound on following albums Human Conditions (2002) and Keys to the World (2006) but, despite high chart positions, they received a poor critical response. Singles "Break the Night With Colour" and "Music Is Power" fared well, but he slowly slipped from the spotlight before a short-lived Verve reunion culminated with them headlining the 2008 Glastonbury festival and releasing Number 1 album Forth (2008). In 2010 he formed RPA And The United Nations Of Sound and released their eponymous debut album to little fanfare. He made a solo comeback in 2016 with These People—his first solo album since 2006's Keys to the World—and broke with tradition for the 2018 follow-up Natural Rebel, working with producers Jon Kelly and Emre Ramazanoglu rather than Christ Potter. His next album, 2021's Acoustic Hymns Vol 1, saw him reinterpret past works such as the Verve's seminal 1997 album Urban Hymns. The LP went all the way to number two on the UK Albums Chart.

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