“When I read about Gram Parsons' dream of this Cosmic American Music when I was in my late teens, that stuck with me: that idea, that ambition, to draw off the roots of music but take it somewhere fresh.”

English musician, singer, and songwriter

Richard Ashcroft is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. Born in 1971, he came to prominence as the founder, lead singer, rhythm guitarist, and sole songwriter of the Verve, the alternative rock band he formed in 1990. He began a solo career in 2000 and has released six solo albums that reached the UK top three, including Alone with Everybody, Keys to the World, and These People. His work is closely associated with alternative rock and with songs shaped by his role as both singer and principal writer.