Beth Orton

Matt Everitt presents in-depth, exclusive and revealing interviews with major artists revealing the pivotal moments and songs that shaped their lives and their careers.

Beth Orton is in possession of one of the most wonderful voices in modern British music – a songwriter and producer as well as a singer – many people first heard about her on the release of Trailer Park, her first solo album in 1996. But before that, and certainly after that, her musical journey has been remarkable.

This conversation follows the recent release of Beth’s ninth studio album The Ground Above, and we discuss Beth’s formative musical passions, including her first gig when she was just 12 years old (The Fall!), and her first time on the stage. We discuss the Trailer Park album but also 1999’s Central Reservation - which won her Brit Award and a Mercury nomination. We also find out about the friction she experienced, as she felt the music industry’s expectations of her fell out of line with what she wanted to do creatively.

We cover her amazing Chemical Brothers and Andrew Weatherall collaborations but also Weather Alive, her brilliant 2022 album, which followed a six-year break and really saw her doing some of the best work of her career.

A BBC Audio North production for BBC Radio 6 Music.