PAULO NUTINI - IRON SKY EP; CAUSTIC LOVE ALBUM

Atlantic recording artist Paolo Nutini has announced an array of activity surrounding the recent release of his long awaited new EP. "Iron Sky" -- the Scottish singer/songwriter's first new release in over five years -- is available now on the iTunes Store and at other digital retailers.

"Iron Sky" heralds Nutini's extraordinary new album, "Caustic Love," which is slated for US release later this year. The album is already proving a phenomenon in the United Kingdom, where it scored the biggest first day and first week sales of the year thus far and the first to sell a six-figure total with 109,000 copies, debuting at #1 on the UK Album Chart. In addition, "Caustic Love" has ruled the iTunes Store's "Top Albums" chart in a stunning range of countries, with #1 sales in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Malta, Slovenia, Bahrain, and the Netherlands, as well as top 3 success in Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bermuda, South Africa, Germany, Norway, Poland, Taiwan, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, and the Cayman Islands.

"Caustic Love" has earned Nutini the most glowing accolades of his already acclaimed career. "The 27-year-old and his whisky-soaked words writhe their way around a multitude of Motown-inflected could-be singles," noted The Guardian, "paying homage to Prince, Marvin Gaye, Echo & The Bunnymen, the Beach Boys, and D'Angelo along the way." The Observer praised Nutini for exhibiting "real grit and passion," while The Scotsman hailed "Caustic Love" as "another leap forward for the restless musician after the infectious mixtape approach of 'Sunny Side Up.'" "What's he been doing (for the past five years)?" wondered The Sunday Times before answering, "Writing the best songs of his career." The Independent's Andy Gill summed it up, declaring "Caustic Love" to be "an unqualified success... the best UK R&B album since the 1970s blue-eyed-soul heyday of Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker."

Nutini will celebrate the stunning popularity of "Caustic Love" with an epic world tour, featuring festival sets, European headline concerts, and an eagerly awaited series of North American live dates. Highlights include an exclusive New York City headline show, slated for June 12th at Webster Hall -- tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, April 25th (check local listings) -- as well as an appearance at San Francisco's Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, set for August 8th - 10th in Golden Gate Park. A full scale North American headline tour will be unveiled soon. 

"Iron Sky" is highlighted by the gospel-flavored title track as well as an exclusive acoustic rendition of the new album's "Better Man." The EP has already won over such fans as the one and only Adele, who recently praised Nutini's "Abbey Road Live Session" version of "Iron Sky" (steaming now at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELKbtFljucQ&list=PLG-6sLnL75vYnl5_f9qk0jJi11tZV3cuy) as "one of the best things I've ever seen in my life hands down."

Produced by Nutini and Dani Castelar (Snow Patrol, R.E.M.), "Caustic Love" pushes at the boundaries of modern pop to create something soulful, funky, and distinctly original. Songs such as "Scream (Funk My Life Up)" and "Fashion (Feat. Janelle Monaé)" showcase the gifted tunesmith's mastery of memorable melody and insightful lyric, all given brilliant life by Paolo's gritty and unpredictable vocal stylings. Other highlights include "One Day," which The Sun declared "the most infectious song Nutini has made" to date.

Signed by none other than legendary Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun when he was just 18, Paolo Nutini made an impressive debut with 2007's "Theses Streets," earning the Paisley, Scotland-born troubadour a plethora of critical praise and worldwide sales in excess of 2 million. A uniquely talented live performer, Nutini toured nearly non-stop following the album's release, headlining countless shows and appearing at some of the world's biggest festivals, including the Isle of Wight Festival 2007 which saw him singing "Love In Vain" alongside Mick Jagger during The Rolling Stones' festival-closing set. Nutini served as sole support at Led Zeppelin's now-legendary 2007 reunion show at London's O2 Arena, benefiting the Ahmet Ertegun Education Fund. He has since shared stages with a variety of other musical icons, including a 2008 soul spectacular at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl which saw Paolo more than holding his own alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Etta James and Solomon Burke.

"Sunny Side Up" arrived in 2009 and confirmed the Scottish troubadour was officially here to stay. Fueled by hit singles like "Candy," the album debuted at #1 in the UK upon its initial release on its way to 3x platinum certification, a BRIT Awards nomination as "Best British Album," and a prestigious Ivor Novello Award honoring excellence in songwriting and composition. As ever, Nutini and his crack band spent considerable time on the road, including a memorable performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Concert at Hyde Park.