Beth Gibbons releases her debut solo album, lives surpassedon Friday, May 17, 2024. Featuring ten beautiful new songs recorded over a 10-year period, the album was produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, The Last Dinner Party) and Beth Gibbons with additional production by Lee Harris ( Talk Talk).
lives surpassed is, to some extent, Beth's most personal work to date, the result of a period of sustained reflection and change. “many goodbyes” in Beth's words. Farewells to family, friends, even herself. These are songs of mid-life, when looking forward no longer produces what it used to and looking back has sudden, sharper focus.
“I realized what life was like without hope.” Beth says. “And that was a sadness I had never felt. Before, I had the ability to change my future, but when you are in front of your body, you cannot force it to do something it does not want to do.”
The songs also address motherhood, anxiety, and menopause (which Beth variously describes as “a massive audit” and “a massive crash” which “it cuts you in the knees”) as well as, inevitably, mortality.
“People started dying” Beth says. “When you're young, you never know the end, you don't know how it will end. You think: We're going to get through this. Will improve. Some endings are difficult to digest.”
But emerging from this decade of change and realignment has left Beth with what feels like renewed purpose. “Now that I've come out on the other side, I think you have to be brave.” she says.
The video for the first single “Floating On A Moment” was directed by acclaimed artist and multimedia director Tony Oursler (the man responsible for David Bowie's “Where Are We Now?” video).
“When I first heard “Floating On A Moment,” it literally transported me from place to place, filling me with emotions and kaleidoscopic visions. If possible, I wanted to capture that psychic liquid in this video. Beth's work is so powerful that can lead us through the forests and fires of life, revealing glimpses of possible futures. “With a voice and music like that, I knew we had to create images that were open, somewhat speculative.” – Tony Oursler
Watch the video for 'Floating On A Moment' – BELOW:
In addition to Beth's work with Portishead, her Out of season album with Rustin Man (2002) and the recording of his performance of Górecki's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (2014), she has recently been heard collaborating with Kendrick Lamar on 2022's “Mother I Sober” from his album Mr Morale & the Big Steppers.
The track listing for Lives Outgrown is as follows:
Tell me who are you today
floating in a moment
burden of life
Lost changes
Rewind
Arrive
Oceans
On sale
Beyond the sun
whispering love
Beth Gibbons will perform subsequent concerts in the UK and Europe in May and June. Tickets will go on general sale on Friday 16 February at 10am GMT. Pre-orders for Lives Outgrown in the UK via the official Beth Gibbons store will be eligible for pre-sale tickets from Wednesday 14 February at 10am GMT.
Monday, May 27 – La Salle Pleyel, Paris
Tuesday, May 28 – Theater 11, Zurich
Thursday 30 – Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona
Friday 31 – La Bourse Du Travail, Lyon
Sunday June 2 – Uber Eats Music Hall, Berlin
Monday, June 3 – Falkonersalen, Copenhagen
Wednesday, June 5 – TivoliVredenburg (main hall), Utrecht
Thursday June 6 – Cirque Royal, Brussels
Sunday June 9 – The Barbican Centre, London
Monday 10 June – Albert Hall, Manchester
Tuesday 11 June – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
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