Never one to be backwards in coming forwards, folk godhead Andrew Bird returns with a new tour and EP, taken from last month’s criterati-tickling Noble Beast.

The ‘Fitz and the Dizzyspells’ EP is made up of five tracks, a mixture of new songs and re-workings of demos from Noble Beast. Alongside the lead track we have ‘Sectionate City’ (check out a heart-twitching live reworking here) which is new, all sliding strings and Bird’s signature sighing vocals. ‘Ten-You-Us’ is a different version of the album’s ‘Tenuousness’ (geddit?), a gentle acoustic number stripped of the trademark layers. Another tumbledown highlight is a re-jigged version of ‘Anonanimal’, christened ‘See The Enemy’ for the occasion.

The video for ‘Fitz And The Dizzy Spells’, filmed at the infamous Chicago venue The Hideout, is a rocking ride around Chicago and has Bird playing to a party crowd, marching band and all. Check it out here and then buy a fistful of tix for one/several/all of the dates below:

Sun 10 May Bristol Thekla
Mon 11 May London Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Wed 13 May Manchester Academy 2
Thu 14 May Glasgow Oran Mor