Beth Orton unveils stunning video for '1973' - premiere

'1973 plays with this idea of memory and reality'

Beth Orton - photo by Tierney Gearon (Tierney Gearon)

Beth Orton has unveiled the video for her track "1973", and you can watch the premiere here on The Independent.

Far from your average singer-songwriter, Orton decamped to California to put together her spectacular new album Kidsticks with Fuck Buttons' Andrew Hung - you can really hear a Califronia vibe in this track with the electric buzz; the fresh, vibrant colour scheme and trippy camera work compliments that perfectly.

The video for "1973" was directed by acclaimed photographer Tierney Gearon, while the track itself has Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr on guitar and Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor on backing vocals and bass.

Orton says of the video: "As soon as I saw Tierney's work I knew she would be perfect for Kidsticks. I love her use of colour and her layering of images. During the writing of the record I experienced different realities running consecutively.

"The idea of identity lost and found runs throughout the record. 1973 plays with this idea of memory and reality. There's a surreal nature to Tierney's work that I love, as well as her use of the Californian landscape and light. When Tierney and I met we decided to do the album artwork and also shoot footage too. Not in the way of a pop video but more as she might an art piece."

Watch the video below and let us know what you think:

Q&A with Beth Orton

What have you been listening to recently?

The new Erykah Badu / Andre 3000 track “Hello.” I've loved Erykah Badu since Baduism. She just gets stronger as the years pass - a beautiful iconic authentic artist. I've also been loving Anderson Paak, his song “The Bird” and reading his story as well.

What are your plans for summer 2016?

I'm really exited to be playing a few festivals including the Caught By The River Thames Festival - I can't wait to see the Sun Ra Arkestra, and I am quite keen to hear what Kate Tempest has to say. I will be touring the US in June, and in May I'm playing the Brighton Festival, curated by Laurie Anderson.

What was the first gig you played, and what was your favorite gig?

My first gigs I played were upstairs at The Crown and Two Chairmen in Soho. On Tuesday nights me and my friend Tash Lee used to sit on barstools and sing. We'd do our favorite Merle Haggard or Rod Stewart covers and also songs we were writing, and would probably be moved to drunken tears at some point during the night.

I think my favorite gig was playing the Shepherd's Bush Empire for the Trailer Park tour. It was on my birthday, the crowd singing Happy Birthday to me, one of my first proper tours with a band. The love was immense.

Beth Orton's album Kidsticks is out on 27 May on vinyl, CD and to download. You can catch her live at the following dates:

Brighton Festival - 27-28 May

Rough Trade In-store - 30 May

Deershed Festiavl, Yorkshire - 24 July

Caught By The River Thames Festival, London - 6 August