Martin Sexton plots 'Sugarcoating' run

Singer/songwriter Martin Sexton will prepare for his forthcoming studio release, "Sugarcoating," with a round of North American dates that mix solo performances with full-band gigs.

The extensive outing gets off to a slow start with a pair of February shows--Feb. 6 in Guelph, Ontario and Feb. 14 in Pittsfield, MA--before picking up the pace in mid-April. The 36-city trek works its way from the East Coast to the West Coast and back again before the July 1 conclusion in Camden, NJ. The full schedule is shown at right.

Pre-sales for most shows are available now, while general on-sales begin Friday (2/5).

"Sugarcoating," Sexton's eighth studio effort, will hit shelves April 6 on his own Kitchen Table Records label. The Massachusetts-born musician collaborated with producer Crit Harmon on the set, which was recorded over a two-week period at Camp Street Studios in Cambridge, MA.

"It was live off the floor and organic, like I usually do," Sexton explained in a recent interview with Billboard.com. "We recorded it all, mixed it down to analog two-track to give it that tape warmth. It was all pretty old school."

The April release follows Sexton's 2008 album, "Seeds," which peaked at No. 17 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.