While the tour doesn’t begin until December, the new album comes your way a bit sooner. Set for an Oct. 12 release on The End Records, It’s What I’m Thinking: Photographing Snowflakes is the first release of what will be a trilogy emerging from what the label describes as “a period of unprecedented creativity for Gough” resulting from the songwriter having more than the usual amount of new material.

Beginning in Boston at Paradise Rock Club Dec. 1, Badly Drawn Boy’s second tour stop is two nights in New York City at Le Poisson Rouge Dec. 3-4 followed by a show in Alexandria, Va., at The Birchmere Dec. 5. Other cities on the routing include Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, Portland, Seattle and San Francisco before closing in West Hollywood with two nights at the Troubadour Dec. 15-16.

While tickets for the San Francisco gig at Swedish American Hall went up Oct. 3, expect New York and Alexandria to go on sale Oct. 6; Los Angeles Oct. 7; Philadelphia and Toronto Oct. 8 and Boston, Chicago, Portland and Seattle Oct. 9. For more info, click here for the Badly Drawn Boy website.