Beth Orton

For the American cyclist, see Beth Ann Orton.

Beth Orton
Orton at the Mojo club night at the Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell 2009
Orton at the Mojo club night at the Slaughtered Lamb, Clerkenwell 2009
Background information
Birth nameElizabeth Caroline Orton
Born (1970-12-14) 14 December 1970 (age 53)[1]
Dereham, Norfolk, England
OriginNorwich, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • singer
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • synthesizer
Years active1993–present
LabelsHeavenly (1996–2005)
EMI-UK (2005–present)
Astralwerks (2003–2010)
ANTI- (2010–present)
Decca (2020–present)
WebsiteBethOrtonOfficial.com

Elizabeth Caroline Orton (born 14 December 1970) is an English musician known for her "folktronica" sound, which mixes elements of folk and electronica.[2] She was initially recognised for her collaborations with William Orbit, Andrew Weatherall, Red Snapper and the Chemical Brothers in the mid-1990s. Her UK/US first solo album, Trailer Park, received much critical acclaim in 1996. Orton developed a devoted audience with the release of the BRIT Award-winning album Central Reservation (1999) and the 2002 UK top 10 album, Daybreaker. Her 2006 album, Comfort of Strangers, was followed by a break during which Orton gave birth to her daughter and collaborated with the British guitarist Bert Jansch. Orton returned with Sugaring Season in 2012, which moved towards a purer acoustic sound, followed by a return to electronic music with Kidsticks, released in 2016.

Orton's music has been featured in the movies How to Deal and Vanilla Sky, and also in the TV series Felicity, Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Roswell, Grey's Anatomy and Manifest, providing her with exposure to a more mainstream American audience.

  1. ^ "The Bands of Summer". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 59. July 1998. p. 20. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Search results". ASCAP ACE. Archived from the original on 20 February 2007. Retrieved 11 September 2006.