Boston punk veterans Dropkick Murphys have announced they’re celebrating their 25th anniversary by releasing a new studio album, Turn Up That Dial.
And though it’ll be a while before they can tour the record due to continuing lockdown restrictions around the world, they’ve also announced a special livestream show for St Patrick’s Day.
The new album – their 10th full-length studio offering – will be released on April 30 via their own Born & Bred Records. A couple of tracks have already been previewed, and a new single, Middle Finger, is out now.
Turn Up That Dial was produced by long-term collaborator Ted Hutt and is available for pre-order now in various exclusive formats on the band’s website HERE.
DKM will preview some tracks from the new album – ranging from raging punk to traditional Irish folk – when they virtually reunite with fans around the globe for their St Patrick’s Day Stream 2021…Still Locked Down to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17.
The free online concert – with no in-person audience – will be simulcast worldwide via www.DKMstream.com and will feature Dropkick Murphys performing socially distanced on an arena-sized stage with a full LED screen and a brand new video show.
Founder Ken Casey, who’s now co-lead vocalist after being forced to give up the bass after having surgery, says: “On this record, the overall theme is the importance of music, and the bands that made us who we are.
“We just hope [the album] takes people’s minds off their troubles. We’ve all done plenty of lamenting, so the main goal was to keep this fun.
“The darker the times got, the harder we fought to uplift with this music. Whatever we’re potentially giving to fans, trust me, they’re giving it to us tenfold. Now, turn up that fucking dial!”
Bass duties have been passed to longtime friend and road crew member Kevin Rheault, which means Casey is now free to roam the front of the stage with long-time singer Al Barr, which lends the band a powerful new dynamic.
Hunkered down at home during the pandemic, DKM recorded Turn Up That Dial in shifts of two members at a time. For the final weeks of recording, producer Hutt ran the sessions via video conference from his studio in LA.
For background vocals, the band set up separate mics in five different rooms so they could all simultaneously sing safely.
Some of the songs from Turn Up That Dial will be previewed by the band on their St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021…Still Locked Down, which is presented by Boston-area tech company Pega, with donations going to help the band pay their crew, and raise money for charity.
Those who donate in advance or during the stream (via www.DKMstream.com) will see their name scroll across the ticker at the bottom of the screen during Still Locked Down.
On St Patrick’s Day 2020, just as Covid-19 was hitting critical mass in the US, the band staged their Streaming Up From Boston livestream, which has now been watched more than 13 million times, raising more than $60,000 through the band’s charitable organization, The Claddagh Fund.
Dropkick Murphys are: Al Barr (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, tin whistle, accordion, piano, vocals), Ken Casey (lead vocals), Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, vocals), James Lynch (guitars, vocals), Kevin Rheault (touring bassist) and Lee Forshner (touring bagpipe player).
