MARK Lanegan, the cult American rock and blues musician with the gruff yet elegant baritone voice and many collaborations to his name, will play the Grand Opera House in York on April 20 and Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on May 1.

At present working on new material for the follow-up to his October 2014 album, Phantom Radio, Lanegan is to perform acoustic shows in intimate venues throughout Europe, kicking off with 13 British and Irish spring dates, followed by major European cities in May.

Singer and songwriter Lanegan first made his mark leading Screaming Trees, a grunge band from Ellensburg, Washington, from 1984 to 2000, branching out into an initially low-key solo career in 1990 with the album The Winding Sheet.

A further six solo records have followed, drawing critical acclaim but never more than moderate commercial success. Meanwhile, Lanegan has collaborated with artists and bands throughout his career, not least Kurt Cobain of Nirvana before Cobain's group made their breakthrough with Nevermind. Their album of songs by blues singer Lead Belly has never been released, however.

Lanegan performed with Layne Staley in the band Mad Season and became a member of Queens Of The Stone Age, featuring on five of their albums, 2000's Rated R, 2002's Songs For The Deaf, 2005's Lullabies To Paralyze, 2007's Era Vulgaris and 2013's ...Like Clockwork.

He formed The Gutter Twins with The Afghan Whigs' Greg Dulli in 2003; released three country-infused albums with former Belle And Sebastian member Isobel Campbell; and contributed to releases by Melissa Auf der Maur, Martina Topley-Bird, Creature with the Atom Brain, Moby, Bomb The Bass and Soulsavers too.

Lanegan's special guest for An Evening With Mark Lanegan will be label-mate, collaborator and kindred spirit Duke Garwood, one of his "all-time favourite artists", with whom he recorded the album Black Pudding for the Heavenly Records label in May 2013. Working with Garwood was "one of the best experiences of my recording life", said Lanegan. Garwood has since issued the solo album Heavy Love last February.

Lanegan's voice has been described as "scratchy as a three-day beard yet as supple and pliable as moccasin leather". Hear why in York on April 20, when doors will open at 7pm, with tickets on sale at £23.75 on 0844 871 3024 or at atgtickets.com/york. For Leeds tickets, ring 0113 243 0808 or book at cityvarieties.co.uk