Belle and Sebastian Announce North American Tour
Photo by Gaelle Beri
Scottish indie-rock band Belle and Sebastian have just announced the North American leg of their extensive world tour. Their month-long stay in North America begins in Portland, Maine on June 5, after which the band will make their way throughout the U.S. and Canada before ending their world tour in Portland, Ore. on June 30. Belle and Sebastian are sharing their stage with notable acts like Perfume Genius, Julien Baker, Snail Mail and Japanese Breakfast, among others, in select cities throughout their tour.
The first two installments of the band’s three-part EP series, How to Solve Our Human Problems, are currently available to stream or purchase. The series’ second installment was released this past Friday, with the third and final part of the trilogy set to release on Feb. 16, along with a compilation album and limited-edition vinyl box set.
Belle and Sebastian are partnering with Plus1 to give $1 of every U.S. ticket purchase to support the volunteer rescue workers known as the White Helmets, who are currently risking their lives to rescue those suffering through the on-going Syrian crisis. In Canada, a portion of the ticket purchases will go to support War Child, a network helping children and families affected by war around the world.
Their humanitarian efforts bleed into How to Solve Our Human Problems, with the same joyfully melancholic sound and clever lyricism Belle and Sebastian have been known for since their late ‘90s debut. The EPs follow a long history of the band’s rich melodies. The band describes their trilogy EP “as gentle as a summer stream but as insistent as a river.” The response following the release of three singles (“We Were Beautiful,” “I’ll Be Your Pilot” and “The Same Star”) off the first two installments of the trilogy EP has been overtly positive, with B&S fans loving the band’s continued growth and development.