Their last North American tour was a 12-show club jaunt in 2000.

Named after a French football (soccer) team, Saint Etienne loosely formed back in the early ‘80s. Childhood buddies Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs began experimenting with making party tapes and soon thereafter decided to forge a legit career in music.

A remake of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” in 1990 became an underground hit, putting Saint Etienne on the charts. The duo put out a couple more equally popular singles, each sung by a different vocalist, and finally settled on Sarah Cracknell as the voice of the group.

By the time Saint Etienne’s second album, So Tough, came about in 1993, the band was wildly popular in the U.K. and Europe. Although generally lumped into the “dance” genre, the group really strove to unite Brit pop sounds of the ‘60s with the post-acid house trend of the ‘90s.

They continued to generate hit dance singles right on through the decade, despite taking an extended break in 1996.

Saint Etienne’s most recent and sixth album, Finisterre, was recently released Stateside and follows a “cinematic” tour of the U.K. The band performed material from the new album and showcased a series of short films that accompany the tunes.

Prior to the U.S. gigs, Saint Etienne will be wrapping a month-long tour of the U.K. and Europe.