Athlete announce tour

Athlete will head out on the road this spring / summer in support of their latest album, Black Swan, which was released on March 2^nd through Original Signal Recordings in the U.S.  The tour will kick off May 31^st 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 21^st, Chapel Hill June 30^th, and Pittsburgh July 1^st.

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