Beth Orton - Melancholy from Norfolk

We meet Beth Orton shortly before her concert on December 26th at the monumental complex of Santa Maria la Nova, in Naples, the first of four live shows included in the "Women's Stories" series scheduled in the Campania capital. The Norwich-born singer-songwriter opens up wholeheartedly, revealing some private anecdotes tied to a deep inner crisis, fortunately overcome long ago, as well as fond memories of a bright past.  

What did you take away from your artistic partnership with William Orbit?

William helped me understand the structure of a song. I've always written poems ever since I was a child, and he showed me a basic understanding of verse/chorus structure and how a poem can become a song.

What remains today of the sweet girl who traveled from Norwich to the heart of London to soak up and capture the spirit of the Nineties?

That's an important question. What remains? She lives on in the music, forever preserved in time. It was actually really hard to let her go for a while. I didn't want to be disloyal to the people who first heard my music and loved my songs.

Did you feel like you had betrayed them?

I certainly had the feeling that growing up would mean drifting away from the loyalty of my early audience. I don't know if that's true. But I do know that when I sing the old songs, as well as the new ones, I can integrate all my selves. Music allows unconscious connections to become accessible, when they otherwise wouldn't be. I can rediscover my past self by singing my early songs, just as the audience can rediscover their own past selves in my songs that mean the most to them.

What kind of concert will it be in Naples?

I'll be playing acoustic piano and guitar, joined by Sam Amidon. Together we'll play songs that have shaped pretty much my whole career.

I hear you love reading…

That's right.

Is there an Italian novel you've read and enjoyed?  

"Le perfezioni" [published in English as Perfection], a book released by Fitzcarraldo in the UK. It was written by Vincenzo Latronico and translated by Sophie Hughes. I was a judge for the International Booker Prize last year, and I championed it a lot.

You sang for the Chemical Brothers on “Alive Alone”. What memories do you have of that experience?

I lent my voice to the Chemical Brothers' first three albums. We're still friends. A particular memory? For “Alive Alone” I sang in the shower with Tom Rowlands.

And what was your relationship like with the unforgettable Andrew Weatherall?

He was a dear friend. We didn't talk much, but we laughed a lot!

How did pregnancy or the natural passing of time shape the songs on “Weather Alive“?

I had to grow up to become a person worthy of my children and their love. I also had to become someone capable of caring for others, so that I could then be a good parent too. The growth needed to become a mother, the seriousness and the fun of it: all of that became part of my music too. I'm more curious than I used to be, basically - I wanted to grow and be brave in the personal choices I was making. And the record reflects exactly that change in me.

On “Friday Night” you sing: “Mi ero dimenticata di avere le ossa. Mi ero dimenticata di poter sentire. Mi ero dimenticata che ci saremmo svegliati. E sarebbe stato tutto vero”. Where do these words come from and what exactly are they about?

The answer is quite a sad one. I was sitting at the top of the stairs at home and I was very unhappy. I felt as though I had no bones, as though I didn't exist. I felt like I could just let go and fall down the stairs and turn into jelly or rubber. I still remember that feeling now, telling this story, and it scares me.

And what happened afterwards?

While I was sitting there thinking about the consequences of simply letting go and falling, I remembered that I had bones, and that I would feel the pain of hitting the ground, and that I would therefore wake up and have to face the consequences of having inflicted that on myself and on the people I love. That's when I got up and went to my piano, turning that impulse, that strange urge, into poetry, lyrics and melody. I'm very lucky to be able to turn pain into beauty.

Are there any young electronic singer-songwriters you particularly love?

I love Billy Eilish so much.

(24 December 2025)

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