Dance music super-group ABOVE & BEYOND have today revealed the vocalists who will join them on their upcoming ACOUSTIC II tour of the world’s most iconic concert halls

 

Dance music super-group ABOVE & BEYOND have today revealed the vocalists who will join them on their upcoming ACOUSTIC II tour of the world’s most iconic concert halls. In addition the trio have added another feather to their cap by selling out the world-famous, 18,000-capacity Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA as part of tour.

The first two names will be very familiar to ABOVE & BEYOND fans: Zoē Johnston, long-time collaborator with the band and co-writer of the Grammy nominated “We’re All We Need”; and Justine Suissa, the much-loved voice of OceanLab, with whom the group released the Sirens Of The Sea LP in 2008.

With Suissa making her acoustic debut and Johnston one of the stars of ABOVE & BEYOND’s previous acoustic run in 2013, the return of these two fan favorites is sure to heighten anticipation for the shows. Fans will also be intrigued to hear the two new vocal talents that ABOVE & BEYOND’s Jono, Tony and Paavo have lined up for the tour, which also includes stops at The Wang in Boston, the Beacon Theatre in NYC and Honolulu’s Waikiki Shell.

The first new addition is Cobi, a singer-songwriter born in the northern most part of Minnesota. Cobi’s voice travels from low valleys to high peaks while his guitar is the heartstring of his powerful live performances. Possessing story-telling qualities reminiscent of the 70s, Cobi’s single “Darker Than Dawn” is moving audiences, and quickly becoming one of the most anticipated songs of the summer. With musical influences that cross genres and generations, his songwriting style has been described as “Neil Young meets Miike Snow.”

Also joining the tour is Natalie Holmes, a UK singer/songwriter with a delicate and angelic voice who draws her influences from artists such as Ellie Goulding, Sara Bareilles, Bon Iver, Gabrielle Aplin (who she recently supported at Leeds O2 Academy).

ABOVE & BEYOND commented: “We’re super excited to have our good friends Justine and Zoë on board for these special shows and it’ll be a rare treat for our fans to see them perform together. Cobi and Natalie really blew us away with the quality of their voices and we can’t wait to introduce them to you all.”

ABOVE & BEYOND’S Acoustic World Tour takes in 11 iconic concert venues including Sydney Opera House, Berkeley, CA’s Greek Theatre and Toronto’s Massey Hall. With over 90% of tickets already sold, fans should head quickly to www.aboveandbeyond.nu/acoustic to secure their seats for the few remaining shows in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Honolulu. 

The tour begins this week at the Church of St John’s in Hackney on April 28, then heads to London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall on May 5 via stops in Manchester and Utrecht, with the U.S. leg of the tour kicking off in Chicago on May 12.

Accompanying the tour will be a new studio album, featuring orchestral reworkings of fan favorites from the ABOVE & BEYOND back catalogue as well as tracks from the band’s 2015 electronic album We Are All We Need – including dance anthems “We’re All We Need” featuring Zoë Johnston and “Blue Sky Action” featuring Alex Vargas. Watch the announcement video on YouTube for a sneak peek at new material from the album and behind-the-scenes footage from an album recording session at London’s historic Abbey Road Studios.

Over their four critically acclaimed studio albums, along with their acoustic project, Above & Beyond have continually been celebrated for placing real musicianship and songwriting at the heart of what they do. While their famed club mixes have resonated with the dance generation, the songs behind them have touched fans of all ages across the globe. As influenced as much by Jeff Buckley or Bon Iver as they are by their deep love of electronic music, Above & Beyond’s songs and lyrics have been sung back to them at the world’s biggest stadiums and stages – from Alexandra Palace, to Madison Square Garden, to LA’s Forum, to their famed one million people gig at Barra Beach in Rio de Janeiro in 2007.

Zoë Johnston is a British singer-songwriter and long-time Above & Beyond collaborator. She’s recorded with seminal electronic acts Faithless, Bent and Delirium and released a solo album, ‘Happenstances’ in 2006. Zoë has appeared on all three Above & Beyond artist albums and co-wrote some of the band’s biggest hits including ‘Good For Me’, ‘Love Is Not Enough, ‘You Got To Go’ and, most recently, Grammy nominated single ‘We’re All We Need’.

One of dance music’s best-loved voices, Above & Beyond fans will know her best as a member of OceanLab, the iconic trance group that spawned evergreen dance anthems ‘Clear Blue Water’, ‘Satellite’ and ‘On A Good Day’, as well as studio album ‘Sirens of the Sea’. More recently she’s performed on ‘Little Something’ from Above & Beyond’s ‘We Are All We Need’ album, and in 2016 will revive the OceanLab moniker on ‘Another Chance’, a highlight of the iTunes chart-topping Anjunabeats Volume 12 compilation.

A singer-songwriter born and bred in the northern most part of Minnesota, Cobi is one of the most compelling songwriters of the new millennium. His voice travels from low valleys to high peaks while his guitar is the heartstring of his powerful live performances. His first single, “Darker Than Dawn”, was entirely self-produced and recorded in his Los Angeles studio. The track, one of 2016’s sleeping giants, will be released in early summer. With musical influences that have crossed genres and generations, his songwriting style has been described as “Neil Young meets Miike Snow.” He was already shared the stage with acclaimed artists including Young The Giant, Cee Lo Green, All American Rejects, One Republic and Beyoncé.

Hailing from Bristol, UK, singer/songwriter Natalie Holmes has clocked up three successful EPs, the most recent of which hit the top 10 of iTunes singer/songwriter charts. Her delicate, angelic voice attracted the attention of pop culture doyen Perez Hilton, who featured ‘Safety Net’ on his blog, her music also appearing on hit TV show ‘Made In Chelsea’. She first began writing songs on piano and then as a self-taught guitarist and is influenced by artists such as Ellie Goulding, Sara Bareilles, Bon Iver, Gabrielle Aplin (who she supported at Leeds O2 Academy).