Holly Humberstone’s sophomore album ‘Cruel World’ is out now via Interscope Records, and the North American tour supporting it is one of the more compelling indie pop runs of the summer. Kicking off June 3 in Boston and running through June 28 in San Francisco, the “Cruel World Tour” hits headline rooms across the continent alongside major festival appearances at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball, and All Things Go Toronto.
‘Cruel World’ was built through daily studio sessions with collaborator Rob Milton and explores the tension between pain and pleasure, chaos and acceptance, anchored in stability and recollection after the turbulence of her debut. Where ‘Paint My Bedroom Black’ was marked by longing and unease, this record reaches toward something more grounded, drawing on childhood memories, gothic fairytales, feminine solidarity, and the strange comfort of digging through your own past.
Visually, Humberstone built the album’s world with her sister Eleri and creative director Silken, inspired by childhood trinkets uncovered while leaving the house she grew up in, ballet shoes, Alice in Wonderland books, and films like Edward Scissorhands and James and the Giant Peach. That imaginative richness runs through every corner of the record, and the live show promises to match it.
“Cruel World” North American Tour Dates:
June 3 — Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
June 4 — Montreal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre
June 6 — Toronto, ON @ All Things Go Toronto
June 7 — Queens, NY @ Governors Ball Music Festival
June 9 — Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of The Living Arts
June 10 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
June 12 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
June 13 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
June 15 — Detroit, MI @ Saint Andrew’s Hall
June 16 — Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theatre
June 19 — Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
June 21 — Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
June 22 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
June 24 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
June 25 — Vancouver, BC @ The Commodore Ballroom
June 26 — Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
June 28 — San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore