Fresh off an extensive European release tour in support of their debut album, Reverence For Fallen Trees, The Black Atlantic will head out to Austin, TX to perform at the 2010 South by Southwest Music Festival (SXSW). This will mark their maiden trip to SXSW After their five-day stint at SXSW, the band will embark upon a spring tour of the US, making stops at major cities including New York and Chicago. Confirmed dates, cities, and venues are listed below, with additional shows TBD.
Hailing from Groningen (The Netherlands), The Black Atlantic is an acoustic pop quartet, formed around singer-songwriter and former Shai Hulud frontman, Geert van der Velde. With an ambient feel that tickles the nerves of vulnerability, the band’s folk influenced sound is reminiscent of Bon Iver or Sigur Rós.
The band pairs lush, dreamy melodies with softly layered vocal harmonies and minimal percussion. Exuding formidable intimacy and heartfelt urgency, the Black Atlantic are contenders to be one of the biggest surprises of 2010. AOL Spinner described their sound as “ethereal and evocative”, while Slam Magazine called it “bright and refreshing”, and Drive Wayferer Drive hailed it as “lovely without being precious, ambitious without being alienating”.
In late 2008, The Black Atlantic recorded REVERENCE FOR FALLEN TREES, in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York. The album was released digitally for free through the band’s official website on August 21, 2009, as part of the international recording series “In a Cabin With”(IACW). Since then, REVERENCE FOR FALLEN TREES has received over 60,000 downloads, and garnered unanimous praise across the international music blogosphere.
Since their official debut at the 2007 Eurosonic Music Festival, The Black Atlantic has toured worldwide continuously, sharing the stage with talent such as Nada Surf, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Windmill (UK), and most notably, Brooklyn-based indie rockers, The Antlers, who also appear as guests on the album.
March 19th – Austin, TX – SXSW – Radisson Hotel “2nd Play Stage” 7pm
March 24th – St. Louis, MO – Lemp Art Center
March 26th - Toledo, OH - Ottawa Tavern
March 27th – Chicago, IL – The Empty Bottle w/ The Cave Singers
March 28th – Mt Pleasant, MI @ Justice Records w/ Cheap Girls, Home Life
April 4th – New York, NY – Piano’s (t.b.c.)
*more dates to be announced
