Emily Barker is an acclaimed singer-songwriter from Western Australia. Her song “Nostalgia” was the theme for the BBC crime drama “Wallander” starring Kenneth Branagh. Praised for her songwriting by The Guardian, NPR, and The Australian, Barker has toured extensively with artists like Frank Turner and Mary Chapin Carpenter and was the 2018 UK Americana Artist of the Year. Her first collection of poetry, “Where The Black Swans Swim”, was published this year by UK publisher Broken Sleep Books.

New Album ‘Fragile As Humans’ - Out Now

Renowned for her poignant songwriting and captivating voice, award-winning singer-songwriter Emily Barker has announced a series of UK tour dates following the release of her new album, 'Fragile As Humans'.

Accompanying this announcement, Barker has also shared a stunning new cover of the Smashing Pumpkins classic, "Tonight, Tonight".

Reflecting on the influence of the Smashing Pumpkins during her teenage years in Western Australia, Barker reminisces about the countless hours spent driving her bright yellow VW Beetle, refurbished with her dad, while blasting albums like 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness'.

Years later, Barker’s connection to the band manifested in a vivid dream where she stepped up to play drums for the Smashing Pumpkins. She captured this dream in a poem, encapsulating her admiration and the surreal experience:

#drummerdream
In a city of metal, glitter & stretched skin
behind a leathered band & thick black curtains
my heart beats double kick because
I’m the drummer of The Smashing Pumpkins
and we’re seconds away from walloping
into a sold-out stadium set.
The crowd are amped, keen to be teens again:
Tonight, Tonight smells of unrequited crushes,
Lynx Africa & the burn of firsts remembered.
Every song cradles place, past, peers, DNA.
Curtains rise & the roar is biblical. Billy turns
to me through the smoke, his scream starts the roll
of the Cherub Rock intro on snare. I raise sticks
above my head, count ONE! TWO! THR –

During the recording of 'Fragile As Humans' at The Wool Hall, producer Luke Potashnick suggested incorporating a couple of covers. Barker and her band naturally gravitated towards "Tonight, Tonight", crafting a version that channels a rolling, acoustic Beck 'Sea Change'-esque vibe.

Emily Barker’s UK Tour Dates

Supporting King Creosote:

• 15 Nov 2024 - STIRLING Tolbooth

• 16 Nov 2024 - EDINBURGH Usher Hall

• 18 Nov 2024 - SUNDERLAND Fire Station

• 19 Nov 2024 - WARWICK Warwick Arts Centre

• 20 Nov 2024 - LEICESTER International Arts Centre

• 22 Nov 2024 - NOTTINGHAM Metronome

• 23 Nov 2024 - MANCHESTER RNCM

• 24 Nov 2024 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club

• 26 Nov 2024 - BRIGHTON Komedia

• 27 Nov 2024 - EXETER Phoenix

• 28 Nov 2024 - LONDON Union Chapel

• 29 Nov 2024 - LONDON Union Chapel

Headline UK Dates with Full Band:

• 23 Jan 2025 - BELFAST The Deer's Head (Out to Lunch Festival)

• 25 Jan 2025 - BRISTOL The Lantern

• 26 Jan 2025 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club

• 28 Jan 2025 - NEWCASTLE Cluny 2

• 30 Jan 2025 - LIVERPOOL St Michael-in-the-Hamlet

• 31 Jan 2025 - MANCHESTER Deaf Institute

• 01 Feb 2025 - LONDON Omeara

• 02 Feb 2025 - STROUD Sub Rooms

• 04 Feb 2025 - CAMBRIDGE Portland Arms

• 05 Feb 2025 - BRIGHTON The Prince Albert

• 06 Feb 2025 - TWYFORD St Marys Church

Tickets for Emily Barker’s tour dates are available now HERE.

For more information, visit Emily Barker's official website.