Allison Ponthier Launching Her First Headline Tour

(NWPR) Texas native singer/songwriter Allison Ponthier has announced her first-ever headline tour, kicking off in June. The news comes on the heels of "Karaoke Queen," the first single from her forthcoming debut album, which arrived Friday alongside an official visualizer.

The five-date US run will begin in Boston on June 12, hitting NYC's Bowery Ballroom on June 13 and wrapping at Schuba's in Chicago on June 21 (full tour itinerary below). Presale begins April 2 at 10am local time, with general onsale beginning April 4 at 10am local time.

"Karaoke Queen" arrived Friday to critical acclaim, including an exclusive interview with Variety, who praised the "sweet" single. Billboard celebrated the "tender, fragile new ballad," highlighting her "ethereal voice and unmatched skills at confessional lyricism," while Rolling Stone hailed the track as a "Song You Need To Know." Consequence commended the "luminous" single and raved, "There's a whole world contained in the track." Showcasing delicate finger-picked guitar and Ponthier's warm, shimmering vocals, "Karaoke Queen" was written four years ago with Ethan Gruska (Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine, Ryan Beatty) and Micah Premnath during a time of uncertainty when Ponthier was confronting her greatest fear-being dropped by her major label. Now an independent artist after experiencing her "worst case scenario," the song arrives as a reflection on the fragility of dreams and the resilience to face our fears head-on, offering a comforting reminder that even when our worst fears materialize, things will turn out okay.

"I wrote 'Karaoke Queen' four years ago, after I signed my first record deal," shared Ponthier. "The most terrifying outcome I could imagine was losing my deal by getting dropped, something that felt really possible because I came from Texas with no real knowledge of music business beforehand. With Ethan Gruska and Micah Premnath, we wrote a story about a girl who gets signed to a major, gets dropped, and has to move back to her hometown. She's embarrassed and discouraged, but then she finds herself becoming the star of the local karaoke bar in town, and ultimately happy."

She continued, "By writing this song, it helped me imagine my worst fear but with a happy ending. So when it actually happened to me in late 2024, I was crushed, but, like the song, it truly was one of the best things that I didn't know needed to happen. I hope other people can relate to the moral of the story: sometimes you don't get what you want, but you get what you need."

June 12 / Boston, MA / The Sinclair
June 13 / New York, NY / Bowery Ballroom
June 14 / Washington D.C. / The Atlantis
June 20 / Dallas, TX / Club Dada
June 21 / Chicago, IL / Schuba's

Allison Ponthier Returns With 'Karaoke Queen' Visualizer

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