AI isn't going to have any beneficial influence on humans': Beth Orton on creativity, craft and the inspirational power of David Bowie

"I found out I could sing while I was doing experimental theatre in 1989 it was a cultural crossover between Ukraine and the UK. My biggest fear was singing in public and I wanted to do something I was afraid of, so I turned a Rimbaud poem into what I imagined was a blues song. And I loved it."

"Afterwards, I met this producer, William Orbit I was 19 and he was 37 through one of the women in the play whose husband was the manager of the Pogues. William decided: She can sing. I will make a star of her. He hooked me up with a wonderful singing teacher. But I probably will never see myself as a singer."

"I get inspired and that's why I write. I could be walking in nature or having a conversation and it'll spark something in my head and I'll make notes. Then I'll go to the piano or guitar and often if I've got something percolating, that will find its way into the chords. So, melody, words and chords often come together at once."

"The easy part is the la la la, here's the idea, here's the shape, here's the form, and then it's like: this all came unconsciously, how do I write to that standard consciously? That can be really, really challenging. It can make your skin crawl because it's hard to write a good song."

Singing ability was discovered during experimental theatre in 1989 through a cultural crossover between Ukraine and the UK. A fear of singing in public led to turning a Rimbaud poem into a blues-like song, which was immediately enjoyed. A producer recognized the talent and arranged training with a singing teacher, shaping a path into music. Even with ongoing work, the singer does not fully identify as a singer, instead seeing the role as musician. Songwriting begins with inspiration from everyday experiences, followed by capturing ideas as notes. Chords, melody, and words often arrive together, and the main challenge becomes consciously matching the unconscious standard of the initial idea. Early musical memory includes loud Bowie music played by a brother in Norwich.

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