Listen to the new album and check out his upcoming tour dates here.
6x GRAMMY® Award-nominated musician/songwriter/producer Steven Wilson’s eighth album The Overview is out now on Fiction Records. Massively ambitious and hugely expansive, Wilson’s most audacious release to date was recently launched with a sell-out screening of Miles Skarin’s accompanying film at London’s BFI IMAX cinema, before multiple sold-out screenings at theatres around the world.
The Overview consists of just two tracks: "Objects Outlive Us" and "The Overview," each inspired by the "overview effect" that astronauts experience viewing the Earth from orbit. Although initially a solo recording, the finished version of The Overview features studio help from regular collaborators Craig Blundell (drums), Adam Holzman (keyboards), and Randy McStine (guitars) alongside a set of lyrics from XTC’s Andy Partridge that help form the story that drives "Objects Outlive Us." The album has a resolutely singular sound and vision that pulls pieces from different periods of Wilson’s 30-plus-year career. There are nods to classic Porcupine Tree records as well as the world-building storytelling of The Raven That Refused To Sing and the forward-thinking electronics of The Future Bites and the spatial audio vision that ran through 2023’s The Harmony Codex. Consistent with Wilson’s reputation as a modern-day producer par excellence the album is also a true audiophile experience, and to this end, spatial / Atmos audio versions of The Overview are available physically and digitally. All vinyl versions of The Overview have been specifically mastered at half speed by Miles Showell at Abbey Road.
The Overview is currently available on vinyl, CD, Blu-ray, limited edition mint vinyl, and digital formats (the deluxe box set format sold out on announcement).
To celebrate the release, Wilson will be setting out on the eagerly awaited North American leg of The Overview Tour – his first full-band solo headline run in the US and Canada in over seven years. Dates get underway for the Live Nation-produced run starting September 9 at San Francisco, CA’s The Masonic and continue through mid-October. Highlights include shows at historic venues as Los Angeles, CA’s The Wiltern (September 10), Toronto, ON’s Danforth Music Hall (September 22), Montreal, QC’s MTELUS (September 25), and Brooklyn, NY’s Brooklyn Paramount (October 2). Artist presales begin Tuesday, January 28 at 10:00 am (local) while on-sales start Friday, January 31 at 10:00 am (local).
MAY
1 – Stockholm, Sweden – Cirkus (SOLD OUT)
2 – Oslo, Norway – Konzerthaus (SOLD OUT)
4 – Copenhagen, Denmark – KB-Halen
6 – Dusseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Hall
7 – Brussels, Belgium – Cirque Royal (SOLD OUT)
9 – Birmingham, UK – Symphony Hall
10 – Bristol, UK – Beacon (SOLD OUT)
12 – London, UK – The London Palladium (SOLD OUT)
13 – London, UK – The London Palladium (SOLD OUT)
15 – Newcastle, UK – O2 City Hall
16 – Glasgow, UK – Royal Concert Hall
18 – Manchester, UK – The Lowry (SOLD OUT)
19 – London, UK – The London Palladium
20 – London, UK – The London Palladium
22 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – AFAS Live
24 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
25 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
26 – Paris, France – Salle Pleyel
28 – Lyon, France – Bourse Du Travail
29 – Lyon, France – Bourse Du Travail
30 – Stuttgart, Germany – Porsche Arena
31 – Munich, Germany – Zenith
JUNE
2 – Berlin, Germany – Friedrichspalast
3 – Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
4 – Warsaw, Poland – Torwar
5 – Gliwice, Poland – Prezero
7 – Milan, Italy – Teatro Degli Arcimboldi
8 – Rome, Italy – Parco Della Musica
10 – Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall
11 – Marseille, France – Cepac Silo
12 – Barcelona, Spain – Para-lel 62
13 – Madrid, Spain – Riviera
SEPTEMBER
9 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
12 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
14 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
16 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
17 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Auditorium
19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore
20 – Northfield, OH – MGM Northfield Park
22 – Toronto, ON – The Danforth
25 – Montreal, QC – MTELUS
27 – Quebec City, QC – Theatre Capitole
29 – Boston, MA – The Shubert
30 – Port Chester, NY – The Capitol Theatre
OCTOBER
2 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Paramount
4 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore
7 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
9 – Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
11 – Dallas, TX – The Majestic Theater
Hailed by David Fricke in Rolling Stone for his “fighting spirit and truly progressive ideals in rock composition, group improvisation and emotionally authentic storytelling,” Steven Wilson is, among his many guises, a visionary solo artist, founding member of GRAMMY® Award-nominated British rock band Porcupine Tree, and pioneering spatial audio remixer known for his work with such artists as King Crimson, Yes, Tears For Fears, XTC, New Order, and many more. The Overview follows Wilson’s seventh solo studio album, 2023’s The Harmony Codex, which debuted at #4 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart amidst worldwide critical applause from the likes of MOJO, which praised the groundbreaking collection as “a sonic journey where you never quite know what’s round the corner.”
2022 saw the internationally acclaimed release of Porcupine Tree’s long-awaited eleventh studio album and first release in over 12 years, Closure/Continuation, which debuted at #2 on the UK Albums Chart and reached #1 in Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. An epic world tour followed, making stops in North America, South America, and Europe before culminating with a triumphant sold-out show at London’s famed OVO Arena Wembley. 2022 also saw the publication of Wilson’s much-applauded first memoir, Limited Edition of One (Little, Brown).
What’s more, 2024 was highlighted by The Itself of Itself, the first full-length release from Wilson’s experimental solo project, Bass Communion, in more than 12 years. The album’s limited-edition release was celebrated with Wilson’s only live appearance of 2024, a sold-out performance at London’s intimate Cafe OTO, as well as the long-awaited arrival of the previous Bass Communion catalog at all leading streaming platforms.
Photo Credit: Kevin Westenberg
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