Beth Orton announces self-produced new album The Ground Above, shares "Waiting" single, tour dates

The song, which carries subtle echoes of Laura Nyro, Carole King, and Orton’s early collaborator Terry Callier, finds the British singer-songwriter balancing humour with heartbreak. It is the first material to be heard from her new album.

As with Weather Alive – the 2022 record that marked a critical and creative reinvention – Orton has self-produced The Ground Above. She led a core group of collaborators including multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, Sam Beste, drummers Chris Vatalaro and Vishal Nayak, Paul Butler, trumpeter Christos Styliande, bassist Tom Herbert, and Dave Okumu. The performances were largely captured live in the room.

The new collection of songs is structured in two halves. The first moves through fragmented, searching terrain, while the second opens into warmer, more expansive melodic forms.

Orton has paired the announcement with confirmation of a UK and US headline tour for 2026, her first major run since supporting Weather Alive. Eight UK dates are scheduled, beginning in Brighton on 12 October and concluding at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre on 22 October. She will also appear at Latitude Festival in Suffolk this July.

The Ground Above artwork

The Ground Above tracklist

“The Ground Above”
“Before I Knew”
“Cigarette Curls”
“Waiting”
“Celestial Light”
“I’ll Miss You”
“Love You Right”
“Otherside”