ZERO 7’s ‘THE GARDEN’ ON TOUR; ACCLAIMED BRITISH DUO UNVEILS NORTH AMERICAN DATES AS NEW ALBUM REAPS CRITICAL ACCLAIM

Atlantic recording artists Zero 7 have announced details of their upcoming North American tour. The dates come in support of the UK-based duo's critically celebrated third album, The Garden. The tour will see Zero 7 - a.k.a. Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns joined onstage by a full four-piece backing band and two extraordinary vocalists - longtime collaborator Sia Furler and Swedish singer/songwriter José González. Both acclaimed artists in their own rights, Furler and González recently lent their voices to a number of tracks on The Garden.

The North American dates will kick off on August 26th at San Diego's House of Blues, and then travel the continent before culminating in an eagerly anticipated two-night stand at New York City's Webster Hall on September 15th and 16th. In addition to the headline dates, the trek also features a number of major festival appearances, including KCRW's World Festival at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl on August 27th, and a September 3rd performance at Seattle's annual Bumbershoot extravaganza.

Hailed by KCRW programmer Nic Harcourt as "an instant classic," The Garden has been the #1 most-played album at the influential Los Angeles radio station for the past five weeks. The album has been a top 10 favorite at KCRW since debuting atop the station's playlist last March. The Garden has drawn unprecedented praise both here in the U.S. and around the world. People commended Zero 7 for creating "a perfectly chilled-out ambience by imbuing the atmospheric surroundings on The Garden with a human warmth." Entertainment Weekly praised the album as "an optimistic vision that, as the title suggests, aims to conjure its own Eden." "Zero 7 have perfected the formula for folk jazz that transcends definition and defies classification," declared URB, "always taking us on joyous rides that often end at truly unexpected places." The Garden is part dandelion blowing out the window of our V Dub van," wrote Jane Magazine, "part sexy opium den on a late Sunday night." In a four-starred rave, Mojo declared, "Zero 7's third album is packed with fine folk-tinged numbers, underpinned by a smattering of subtle electronic twiddles," while Mixmag hailed the arrival of "a more adventurous and fully mature Zero 7 sound," noting that "there's an extra sexy looseness... a laid-back swing that's more danceable."

Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns first made themselves known as engineers in the late 1990s, working behind the scenes with such artists as Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant. Teaming up as Zero 7, the duo emerged from the studio and captured the attention of music lovers around the world with their now-classic 2001 debut, Simple Things. That era-defining collection was followed in 2004 by their acclaimed second album, When It Falls, along with their contribution (In The Waiting Line) to the Grammy-winning soundtrack of "Garden State."

From the shimmering opener Futures (featuring Jose González) to the exuberant bluesy psychedelia of Throw It All Away (featuring Sia Furler), The Garden clearly serves notice of the British production duo's talent for eking out sunshine-soaked ambient soul. Along with the contributions of González and Furler, the album also features the vocal debut of Zero 7's Henry Binns, who adds his voice to a number of the set's highlights, including the tender Your Place. Instantly recognizable and yet beguilingly fresh, The Garden is Zero 7's most freewheeling and evocative piece of music to date.

ZERO 7 THE GARDEN On Tour 2006
Aug. 26 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Aug. 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl - KCRW's World Festival
Aug. 29 - San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Aug. 30 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Sept. 1 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Sept. 2 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
Sept. 3 - Seattle, WA @ Bumbershoot Festival
Sept. 6 - Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
Sept. 8 - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Café
Sept. 9 - Chicago, IL @ Park West
Sept.10 - Toronto, ON @ Toronto Islands Park - V Fest
Sept.12 - Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom
Sept.13 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sept. 15 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Sept. 16 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall