Athlete to tour for new album “Black Swan”

Athlete will head out on the road this spring / summer in support of their latest album, Black Swan, which was released on March 2nd through Original Signal Recordings in the U.S. The tour will kick off May 31st at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ.

Black Swan is a musical summary of everything Athlete has been through, the good, the bad and the ugly. But although its songs burn with literate emotion, this certainly isn’t a downbeat record. In fact, the album begins with the hurtling FM rush of the glorious track, “Superhuman Touch,” which catapults the album to life with the opening line, “I’m on fire and nothing’s gonna hold me back.”

Produced by the esteemed Tom Rothrock (Foo Fighters, Elliott Smith, Elbow, Beck), Black Swan positively glows with snagging melodies, rich musicality and the band’s heartfelt tales. These songs together make Black Swan the strongest album Athlete has ever recorded. The reaction to Black Swan has been nothing short of overwhelming both here and in the UK with Alternative Press stating, ““If proper venues for a band called Athlete are Stadiums, then this southeast London quartet have finally made an album worthy of their name… super-earnest reflections with melodies and arrangements direct and sturdy enough to bear the emotional weight.” NME proclaiming, “Awash with gorgeous melodies, the best thing they’ve ever done.” And Q Magazine raving: “Strong results… from the rueful to the thunderous. A band reborn.”

“It’s been a couple of years since we’ve been able to tour throughout America,” says lead singer Joel Pott. “We’ve always loved touring the States because the crowds, the beer and the food are great and everybody loves my English accent.”

Athlete first rose to prominence seven years ago with the spirited, electro-tinged, indie-pop of their Mercury-nominated debut, Vehicles And Animals, Athlete have established themselves among the UK’s finest songsmiths. The southeast Londoners have sold more than a million copies of their three hit albums (the other two being 2005’s Tourist and 2007’s Beyond The Neighbourhood); packed out venues across the world; picked up an Ivor Novello award; and topped both the UK’s album and airplay charts.

Athlete’s North American tour dates are listed below. Carney will support Athlete on all dates except Los Angeles June 21st, Chapel Hill June 30th, and Pittsburgh July 1st.

ATHELE TOUR DATES:
MAY 31 Hoboken NJ Maxwell’s

JUNE 01 New York NY Bowery Ballroom
JUNE 02 Cambridge MA Middle East Downstairs
JUNE 03 Philadelphia PA Johnny Brenda’s
JUNE 05 Brooklyn NY The Bell House
JUNE 06 Vienna VA Jammin’ Java
JUNE 07 Toronto ONT Lee’s Palace
JUNE 09 Chicago IL Double Door
JUNE 10 Minneapolis MN Triple Rock
JUNE 12 Denver CO Bluebird Theatre
JUNE 14 Seattle WA Crocodile Cafe
JUNE 15 Vancouver BC Venue
JUNE 16 Portland OR Mississippi Studios
JUNE 17 San Francisco CA The Independent
JUNE 19 San Diego CA The Casbah
JUNE 21 Los Angeles CA Troubadour
JUNE 22 Phoenix AZ Rhythm Room
JUNE 24 Dallas TX Cambridge Room @ HOB
JUNE 25 Austin TX Stubbs Bar-B-Q
JUNE 26 Houston TX Walters On Washington
JUNE 28 Birmingham AL WorkPlay Theater
JUNE 29 Atlanta GA Vinyl
JUNE 30 Chapel Hill NC Local 506

JULY 01 Pittsburgh PA Club Cafe