Beth Gibbons

Iconic lead singer of the band Portishead, Beth Gibbons grew up rather lonely in a rural environment. This may help to explain the delicacy of her soul-stirring voice, which has done much to establish the reputation of a trip-hop band that became a household name on its debut album, Dummy, in 1994. But after two albums and a live show, the singer took a break to work with Rustin Man, a.k.a. Paul Webb, former Talk Talk bassist and long-time friend, who concocted the aptly named Out of Season (2002), her timeless solo album, the ideal folk setting for a voice that shows a calmer artist. In 2008, Beth Gibbons returned to the trio that made her famous with the album Third, which landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 and peaked at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. She then collaborated with the British metal band Gonga in 2013, performed with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki in 2014, and featured on Kendrick Lamar's "Mother I Sober" from his 2022 album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. Preceded by the singles "Floating on a Moment," "Reaching Out," and "Lost Changes," her studio debut Lives Outgrown arrived in 2024 and topped the UK Independent Albums chart.