New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Elektra Records) Elektra recording artist
Ed Sheeran has announced the eagerly awaited U.S. release of his acclaimed debut album, "+." A record-breaking sensation in the British singer/songwriter's native U.K., "+" arrives on these shores on June 12th.
Sheeran will herald the album's arrival with his first ever North American tour. The dates -- which see the talented troubadour serving as special guest on Snow Patrol's much anticipated cross-country concert trek -- get underway March 29th at Orlando, Florida's Hard Rock Live and then continue through mid-May (see attached itinerary). For full details and additional tour announcements, please visit Sheeran's official webpage, https://www.edsheeran.com.
In addition, Sheeran will perform his blockbuster single, "The A Team," on an upcoming installment of NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, slated for Friday, March 30th. The appearance follows recent live performances on NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly and mtvU's 2012 Woodie Awards extravaganza.
The upcoming schedule comes on the heels of Sheeran's triumphant string of performances at this year's South by Southwest®
Music & Media Conference (SXSW®) in Austin, Texas. Entertainment Weekly praised his "knack for manipulating samplers and voice loops, various strums, a handful of rhythmic pounds on his guitar's body, and even the audience," while Billboard hailed his energetic set at Nikon Inc. and Warner
Music Group's "The Warner Sound Captured by Nikon" residency as "a veritable party in a single package."
Masterfully blending soulful vocals with organic folk introspection and irresistible hip-hop hooks, Sheeran is a genuine phenomenon. Inspired by such diverse artists as
James Morrison,
Damien Rice, and Jay-Z, the gifted tunesmith first made waves with his unique style and affecting songs. A prolific writer and performer, Sheeran played constantly -- including over 300 gigs in 2009 alone -- while also recording and self-releasing five independent EPs. He also became a YouTube favorite, with the loop-driven "You Need Me, I Don't Need You," drawing over 5 million views and counting.
His major label debut single, "The A Team," arrived in June 2011 and instantly proved an unqualified sensation, entering among the top 3 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The track spent 11 consecutive weeks in the U.K. Top 10, making history as 2011's highest charting, biggest selling debut single.
Sheeran's full-length debut, "+," soon followed, featuring a host of truly special songs, from the heart-wrenching "
Small Bump" to the hushed "Give Me Love." The album exploded onto the U.K. Albums Chart at #1 with the highest opening sales figures for a debut artist ever and is now certified 3x platinum.
In addition to their popular success, Sheeran and "+" received extensive acclaim, including the prestigious "Breakthrough Artist" trophy at the Q Awards 2011. Even greater accolades came in earlier this year as Sheeran emerged victorious with a pair of wins at the BRIT Awards 2012 -- including "Best Male Artist" and "Best Breakthrough Artist" -- after having led the field with a remarkable four total nods.
Released in December 2011, Sheeran's U.S. debut EP, "THE A TEAM," features four extraordinary tracks previously unavailable here in the former Colonies, including, of course, "The A Team." A special iTunes version of the EP -- available exclusively via the iTunes Store -- is augmented by an additional track, "Grade 8 (Live At The iTunes Festival London)." Valentine's Day 2012 saw the unofficial release of "SLUMDON BRIDGE," a four song collaboration with acclaimed Southern rapper Yelawolf. The EP is freely available on a variety of hip-hop websites, including mixtape authority DatPiff.com: www.datpiff.com/Yelawolf-Ed-Sheeran-Slumdon-Bridge-mixtape.315067.html.
As energetic and engaging on stage as he is on record, Sheeran spent much of last year doing what he does best -- playing sold out shows all over the U.K., including acclaimed festival appearances at such annual extravaganzas as Glastonbury, Lovebox, Bestival, Latitude, and Reading & Leeds Festival. Sheeran is currently slated to join such rock royalty as Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Sir Tom Jones, and
Jay-Z in celebrating the 60th anniversary of
Queen Elizabeth II's reign at The Royal Diamond Jubilee Concert, set for June 4th outside Buckingham Palace. A further series of U.K. and European festivals are scheduled for the summer, followed by his biggest U.K. tour to date, featuring completely sold out multiple night stands in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Doncaster, Newcastle, and Glasgow.
For up-to-the-minute news and information, please see www.edsheeran.com and www.elektrarecords.com.
All Dates w/Snow Patrol
MARCH
29 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
30 Miami Beach, FL The Fillmore Miami Beach
31 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live
APRIL
2 Atlanta, GA The Tabernacle
3 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
4 Cincinnati, OH Bogart's
6 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
12 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
13 New York, NY Terminal 5
16 Montreal, QC Metropolis
17 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
20 Pontiac, MI
Clutch Cargo's
21 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
22 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
27 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium
28 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
30 Vancouver, BC Orpheum
MAY
1 Seattle, WA Paramount Ballroom
2 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
4 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
8 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium
10 Pomona, CA Fox Theatre
11 Temecula, CA Pechanga Theater
12 Las Vegas, NV The Pool @ The Cosmopolitan
16 Dallas, TX South Side
Music Hall
17 Austin, TX Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheatre
18 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
