Beth Orton shares “Friday Night” from upcoming LP, announces North American tour

Beth Orton's first album in six years, Weather Alive, arrives in September, and she's shared another song from it. "Friday Night" is a gorgeous, spectral track featuring The Smile drummer Tom Skinner, and The Invisible's Tom Herbert on bass.

“‘Friday Night’ is someone reflecting on and trying to decide what to give up or what to surrender to," says Beth. "Passion or ambivalence? Whether to ‘bleed or rust in the rain.’ Most of us are struggling to make sense of where to put the love we have for those that are lost to us, let alone the ones that remain. Sometimes there is no right answer except to find the wisdom in the spaces between the endings and beginnings, in the remembrance of things past or in search of lost time, there are always repercussions to the choices we make. We are listening to the internal dialogue of someone living it out, what is futile and what is worth fighting for, and trying to do as little damage along the way. Friday night being the night that makes the week more bearable, there is hope. Coming to realise what is real and what is out of reach can be unbelievably painful, waking up to the love that remains can be the greatest gift and the most wonderful surprise. Even in absence there is presence, there is no escape but to look for where the love is still alive within us.” Listen below.