Having spent the last number of years establishing himself as one of Ireland's most celebrated poets and spoken word performers, Stephen James Smith has announced his debut album, See No Evil – set to be released on April 1.

To coincide with the news, he's also announced an upcoming tour of Ireland and the UK, kicking off on April 8 with a show in the Pepper Canister, Dublin.

He'll be joined on the tour – which also includes gigs in Derry, Wexford, Galway, Belfast, Cork, London, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow – by a band and visual artist Steve Simpson.

See No Evil was recorded in Co. Wexford, where Stephen relocated to from Dublin during the pandemic – working with Gavin Glass in Orphan Recording Studios. The nine-track album is being co-released by Nymphs & Thugs, the UK's leading spoken word record label. Stephen is the first Irish artist they've worked with.

The album is produced by Gareth Quinn Redmond – an ambient composer and an acclaimed musician who has collaborated extensively with several other Irish artists, including David Keenan. See No Evil also features the likes of Conor O’Brien (Villagers), Jess Kav, Laura Quirke (Lemoncello), Cormac Begley, Camin Gilmore (Sun Collective / Crash Ensemble), Aidan Murphy, Conor Cunningham, and Albert Karch.

"This album is a culmination of years of work and a chance meeting," Stephen says. "I was never really sure 'sound' I wanted to have underscore my poetry. I've so many influences from trad, folk, and hip-hop. And then I met Gareth, instantly we had a bond and he 'got' what I was trying to do.

"I'm a bit more restrained in my performance than I ordinarily would be on this album, but Gareth's music helps to bring the emotional intensity I would aim for as a solo performer, so the opportunity to collaborate on a longer-form project like this was just brilliant, I learned so much and I'm happy with what we created. In some ways, I care how this is received, what we've done means a lot to me, but in others, I couldn't care less, we did what we set out to do and now it's up to the album to find its way in the world."

Ahead of the release of See No Evil, Stephen will release a brand new single, 'I've Had Lovers', on March 11.

Pre-order See No Evil and take a look at Stephen James Smith's upcoming live dates below:

Irish & UK Tour:

• April 8 – Pepper Canister, Dublin
• April 10 – Bennigans Bar, Derry
• April 22 – Presentation Centre Enniscorthy, Wexford
• April 23 – Monroe's Tavern, Galway
• April 30 – The MAC, Belfast
• May 6 – Coughlan's, Cork
• May 18 – London Irish Centre, London
• May 19 – Carole Nash Hall, Stoller Hall, Manchester
• May 21 – Thorner Victory Hall, Leeds
• May 22 – The Hug and Pint, Glasgow

Tickets are available here.