Fresh off performing at Lollapalooza in São Paolo, Brazil, UK alt-rock group Snow Patrol kicks of their North American tour in the Lone Star State.

First up is Dallas April 18, then the band sprints down IH-35 for a visit to sold-out Austin’s ACL Live at the Moody Theater on April 20th. If you miss them in Dallas and Austin, you can still hear them in Houston April 21 before they leave Texas heading to Nashville (April 23), Atlanta (April 24) and beyond.

Snow Patrol, best known for their hit “Chasing Cars” and “Run,” released their seventh studio album “Wildness” in 2018, seven years after their 2011 “Fallen Empires.”

The 2018 album deals with depression, alcoholism through to the overall human experience. Although tackling heavy subjects, “Wildness” has a positive, uplifting message. “It might be coming from a place more of depression or anxiety, but it is more about finding joy and hope again,” said Gary Lightbody, Snow Patrol lead singer, reflecting on the themes and origins of this music.

The first single from “Wildness” is “Don’t Give In,” which Lightbody originally wrote as a song for a friend. As time went by, he realized the song was more personal. He explained, “It kind of became a talisman for the album and had a profound effect on us because we kept coming back to it.” During the writing process, Lightbody dealt with writer’s block, decided to stop drinking, and got sober.

Another song on “Wildness,” which has a deep personal meaning for the lead singer is “Soon,” which is about his father. “Three years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia. I wanted to write a song that connected us both and let him know I was with him and would be always,” explained Lightbody. In the video for “Soon,” Lightbody and his father are sitting together watching old home videos and looking at pictures of the family.

“Wildness” may be a step away from the style fans typically hear from Snow Patrol, yet Lightbody says future albums may not follow the same footprint. “We don’t want to repeat ourselves. “Wildness” opened us up to a new way of writing, which sounds 21st century and we’re not looking back,” he explained. “It sounds like a modern record. I don’t care about writing songs for the radio or charts, but I do care about not repeating the same album twice.”

Snow Patrol has been making music for twenty-plus years, and the band is looking forward to coming back to Texas. Opening for Snow patrol are “We are Scientists,” a two-man Indie rock group from New York, and Ryan McMullan a fresh new talent on the singer-songwriter scene from Portaferry, in Northern Ireland. Long-time fans can anticipate hearing both familiar and new sounds from a band which continues to evolve and connect with new audiences.

Buy Snow Patrol North American Tour tickets here.

Cover photo courtesy Snow Patrol

Native Austinite Brian Maass has long had a passion for music and movies, and is now bringing that same passion to the world of photography. @maass_brian and brian_maass_photographer