Richard Ashcroft returns with new single ‘Lover’ ahead of Oasis reunion tour support slot

Richard Ashcroft has released ‘Lover’, his first new music in six years. The single lands as he prepares to join Oasis on their highly anticipated reunion tour this summer, appearing as special guest across a string of sold-out stadium dates in the UK and Ireland.

Premiered by Vernon Kay on Radio 2, ‘Lover’ marks Ashcroft’s return to original material following 2018’s Natural Rebel and his 2021 rework collection Acoustic Hymns Vol 1. The new track weaves elements of Joan Armatrading’s ‘Love and Affection’ – with her blessing – into a lush, emotionally open piece produced by Ashcroft and Emre Ramazanoglu.

The accompanying video was created using immersive LED studio tech from CUBE StudioX, placing Ashcroft in a striking visual environment projected onto an 18-metre-wide screen. The result is a performance space that matches the scale of the upcoming Oasis tour and signals a more cinematic direction for his return.

Ashcroft says more music is on the way, with ‘Lover’ set to be the first glimpse of a full studio album currently in the works.

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A two-time Ivor Novello winner, Ashcroft’s legacy spans Urban Hymns-era Verve classics and a solo catalogue that includes five Top 5 albums. His long-standing friendship with the Gallaghers dates back to their early tours and collaborations, with Liam Gallagher recently appearing on a 2021 rework of ‘C’mon People (We’re Making It Now)’

Ashcroft will also perform select solo sets this summer, including headline dates in Stevenage, Oxfordshire and Newmarket.

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