Thanks mostly to his work with The Verve, Richard Ashcroft has one of the most instantly recognizable voices in rock. In the Giorgio Testi-directed video for new solo single "Are You Ready" Ashcroft further solidifies his place in my musical consciousness with an amazing live performance of the song, filmed at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London.
Ashcroft will release his first solo album in four years, United Nations of Sound on March 22nd through Razor & Tie Records. To celebrate the release of the album, Ashcroft will be playing two super special gigs in the States, one on March 23rd at the prestigious Bowery Ballroom in New York and one on March 24th at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in Boston (as part of the Jim Beam Live Music Series), marking Ashcroft's first live performances in the U.S. since 2008. In addition to his two shows on the East Coast, on March 22nd, Ashcroft will appear make a late night American television appearance, stopping by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and jamming with his house band The Roots. Scheduled to perform "Are You Ready" live on the show, Ashcroft will also play a yet-to-be-announced second track exclusively for Late Night's official website. Fans can also hear the new single in cinemas, featured in the closing credits to the new Matt Damon film, The Adjustment Bureau, as well as another new track called "Future's Bright." The film is out now in the U.S.
United Nations of Sound features 12 songs produced by hip-hop producer No I.D. (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Common) who worked with Ashcroft "to create a huge sound that makes use of live orchestration, big beats and his widest range of influences yet." Sounds out of this world amazing! The album is already getting praised by the media, with Spin Magazine calling it a "fruitful collaboration" and Nylon Magazine calling the album "a commanding performance." Download "Are You Ready" on iTunes HERE and pre-order the new album HERE. Check out the video for "Are You Ready" below.
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