Dropkick Murphys’new album For The People shows courage and confidence, speaking up against the injustices happening in the United States, doing so with the strength and power that harkens back to Dropkick Murphys’ earliest punk rock roots. For The People is more than a title. It’s a heartfelt stance, a declaration of who this band is—and who they’ve always been.
For The People will be released digitally on July 4 via the band’s Dummy Luck Music / Play It Again Sam, with the LP and CD release featuring 5 bonus tracks out October 10. The poignant album cover was created by renowned social/political artist Shepard Fairey‘s design firm Studio Number One, and the album was produced and mixed by longtime Dropkick Murphys collaborator Ted Hutt.
For The People rises to its moment: an expression of humanity at a time of relentless dehumanization, a promise of hope in an era fueled by fear-mongering, a declaration of solidarity in an age of disunion, a defiant rebuttal to the charlatans and demagogues who seek to divide us for their own power and profit.
“Who’ll Stand With Us?,” the album’s first single, is a call for unity, a return to sanity, and a look at what – and who – is really dividing us. It gets straight to the point: When the billionaires and broligarchs get done neutering society, what’s left for the rest of us? The song aims to frame class warfare for what it is. And, like all Dropkick Murphys songs, it empowers listeners to take action.
In line with the album’s theme and band’s ethos, Casey recently participated in a humanitarian aid convoy in Ukraine, highlighting the band’s commitment to supporting the war-torn country. In recent years, Dropkick Murphys have raised money for Ukrainian aid efforts through the sale of limited-edition t-shirts, and Casey felt it was important to see things firsthand and to show moral support for the people of Ukraine.
As part of their longtime support of veterans and workers’ rights, Dropkick Murphys will launch their summer touring with a historic performance on the National Mall in Washington, DC as part of the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America rally on June 6 (the anniversary of D-Day).
Building on the band’s longtime relationship with the Boston Red Sox, on July 11, fans can enjoy a night of fun during Dropkick Murphys night at Fenway Park which will feature a limited edition Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” bobblehead for those who purchase tickets here: https://www.redsox.com/dropkick. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Dropkick Murphys‘ official charity, The Claddagh Fund, which has raised over $20 million to support non-profit organizations that are focused on children, veterans and addiction recovery.
Later in the summer, iconic punk rock bands Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion will continue to share their message of fighting for what’s right during the co-headlining U.S. Summer Of Discontent Tour from July 22 through August 17. Visit https://dropkickmurphys.com/tour/ for current Dropkick Murphys’ tour dates, including the Summer Of Discontent Tour, North American festivals (Punk In The Park Denver, Warped Tour Long Beach, Seisiún, CityFolk, Riot Fest and Furnace Fest), as well a fall European headlining tour.
Whether it’s politics, family, friends or simply “life,” Dropkick Murphys continue to write music that regular people can identify with. On For The People–the band’s 13th studio album–the stories run deep, the memories push hard, and the joy remains infectious. Across the album’s 12 songs, Dropkick Murphys—Ken Casey (vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, tin whistle, accordion, piano, vocals), Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, vocals), James Lynch (guitars, vocals), Kevin Rheault (bass) and Campbell Webster (bagpipes and Uilleann pipes)—imbue the same kind of joy one might celebrate with family and friends. And even when the moods are sad and pensive, it’s hard not to feel personally invested in the band’s emotional spectrum.
“We’ve always had the same message and haven’t been afraid to speak out about what’s important to us. But for me now, I think about my kids’ future, and the next generation,” says Casey. That could be anything from speaking out against injustices, or just simply making sure you take the time to tell the people close to you how important they are to you.”
You won’t find a declarative call to arms as majestic as the opening salvo of “Who’ll Stand With Us?,” and you’ll stand at rapt attention when Casey pays tribute to the grandfather who raised him on the noble “Chesterfields And Aftershave.” “The Big Man” is a revved-up ode to one of contemporary punk’s biggest characters, Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, while “Streetlights” is a reflection on Casey’s father’s passing when Ken was only 8 years old, and the fractures it left him with (“No church, no bar and no museum/will ever make this right”). “I never thought that I would write a song about the day my Dad died,” admits the frontman, “but sometimes, like a lot of our songs, suddenly the right words or the right way to say it will pop into my head. And it’s like, ‘OK, well, now it’s time to tell that story.’”
For The People is further strengthened with the participation of some stellar musicians who just happen to be some of the band’s favorite people. England’s national treasure Billy Bragg lends his voice on DKM’s cover of Ewan MacColl’s “School Days Over” – coincidentally, a favorite of Bragg’s. “Billy‘s become a great friend,” says Casey. “It’s inspiring how he’s carried on the protest singer legacy. He really walks the walk.”
Dublin’s Irish folk-metal quartet The Scratch–who are close friends after spending the better part of three years opening for Dropkick Murphys on tour–bring their Celtic howlings to the bridge of “Longshot” and sing in their native tongue as Dropkicks dip into the traditional “Mo Ghile Mear” on the bridge of “One Last Goodbye ‘Tribute To Shane’ (feat. The Scratch).” Traditional Irish folk squad The Mary Wallopers are currently blowing up across Ireland and the UK, but made time to duck into a recording studio while on tour to put the boot into “Bury The Bones,” adding the symbiotic voices of protest from Ireland.
In the eyes of many of the DKM faithful, the biggest of all these guest friends is longtime bandmate Al Barr. The band were overjoyed to have Al pay a visit to the studio to urgently growl down some lines alongside his bandmates on “The Vultures Circle High.” “Al is still taking time off for family,” says Casey, “but he’s still part of our family, so we thought it would be nice to have his voice on this record.”
The album closes with the previously mentioned “One Last Goodbye,” a poignant tribute to The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan. With its powerful refrain (“In a million empty bottles we cried/down goes the hero/one last goodbye”) and shout-outs to Shane’s cohorts in the afterlife, it’s a glorious tribute that mines the joy out of the solemnity of death. More importantly, it’s a tacit acknowledgment of how MacGowan firmly put the Dropkicks on the road that has taken them all over the world. Oh, and that line “‘Piss off, you wanker,’ you signed on my soul”? That’s how MacGowan autographed Casey’s copy of the “Dark Streets Of London” single upon meeting him for the first time in 1998.
“Bury the Bones” and “Fiending For The Lies” further address the USA’s dysfunctional climate and the social media disinformation that fuels much of the division.
“Many of these songs are about the issues that do harm to regular people,” stresses Casey. For The People is about…life. “But life can be cruel, and I don’t want to side with the people that vote for cruelty, that vote against free school lunches for kids, and vote against workers’ rights, and enable corporate greed in the growing wealth divide. So if the point is to have a heart and help people, where do those characteristics exist with those that side with the billionaires and the corporations over the worker and the child?”
You see, Dropkick Murphys can start a pit faster than a sparkler tossed into a gas can catches fire. They can pen an obnoxious tribute to one of their best friends, and can stir up emotions that make you reflect on how far you’ve come and who came with you for the journey. Or write a protest anthem that could easily fit on a soundtrack for the next revolution. When it seems like the world is obsessed with flexing its cruelty now more than ever, Dropkick Murphys are ready with the counter offensive.
The song listing for For The People is as follows:
Who’ll Stand With Us?
Longshot (feat. The Scratch)
The Big Man
Chesterfields And Aftershave
Bury The Bones (feat. The Mary Wallopers)
Kids Games
Sooner Kill ‘Em First
Fiending For The Lies
Streetlights
School Days Over (feat. Billy Bragg)
The Vultures Circle High (feat. Al Barr)
One Last Goodbye “Tribute To Shane” (feat. The Scratch)
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