Punky-reggae legends Ruts DC have today announced a new album, Counterculture?, and unveiled its title track as the lead single.
The 11-track album – the band’s fifth studio effort – will be released on November 11 via their own Sosumi Recordings.
They also announced details of a 12-date UK tour promoting the album in November and December.
Few bands can have made such an impact on their second coming as Ruts DC. Formed as The Ruts in London in 1977, the band released a string of now-iconic singles including In A Rut, Babylon’s Burning and Staring At The Rude Boys.
Their superb debut album, The Crack (reappraised here), came out in 1979, and they appeared to be on the verge of great things when tragedy struck.
Singer Malcolm Owen died of a heroin overdose in July 1980, but after changing their name to Ruts DC the remaining band members soldiered on, before splitting in 1983.
Reconvening in 2007 to play a benefit gig for guitarist Paul Fox, following his diagnosis with lung cancer, they found they had unfinished business.
Recruiting Leigh Heggarty on guitar, original bassist John ‘Segs’ Jennings and drummer Dave Ruffy began to gig regularly, releasing a widely-acclaimed album of all-new material, Music Must Destroy, in 2016.
Announcing the new album, Segs, who now handles vocals as well as bass, said: “Counterculture? For us, it never went away. We’ve always been on the outside and still are.
“It’s okay to be a freak. That’s why The Ruts started in the first place. If it’s still inside you, it’s time to light that flame again. Get to know what you don’t know. Come and borrow my lighter.”
Counterculture? is available to pre-order HERE, and you can see Ruts DC live in the UK on the Faces In The Sky/Counterculture tour at the following dates:
18/11- Exeter Phoenix
19/11- Southampton Brook
20/11- Cardiff Globe
21/11- Oxford O2 Academy
22/11- Stoke Sugarmill
23/11- Glasgow St Lukes
26/11- Liverpool Arts Club
28/11- Sheffield O2 Academy
29/11- Bristol Thekla
30/11- Nottingham Rescue Rooms
02/12- Birmingham Institute
03/12- London Islington O2 Academy
