Celtic punk legends Dropkick Murphys have announced a second album featuring the lyrics of Woody Guthrie.
Okemah Rising will be released on May 12 via the band’s Dummy Luck Music/[PIAS], with the first single and video, I Know How It Feels, out now.
The album is the follow-up to last year’s This Machine Still Kills Fascists (reviewed here), which saw the Boston, MA band unplug for their first-ever all-acoustic album.
It consisted of songs interpreting previously unpublished lyrics by the ’40s/’50s American protest singer for a new generation.
Much like TMSKF, the Murphys welcome guest artists on Okemah Rising to help propel Guthrie’s words, including folk punk legends Violent Femmes, fellow Boston rebel Jesse Ahern, and country songstress Jaime Wyatt.
DKM founder and vocalist Ken Casey explains: “Every night, when the audience is singing along with Woody’s words, his steadfast defence of the working class, and his fight against social injustice and the abuse of political power comes across loud and clear. So as long as Dropkick Murphys are involved, Woody’s message will always be heard.”
I’m Shipping Up To Boston
The album closes with I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Tulsa Version, a reimagining of their most famous Guthrie collaboration, which has become one of their best-known songs.
Casey said: “Many people never realised that the lyrics for I’m Shipping Up To Boston were written by Woody Guthrie, so we felt it important to include the song on this project and give it a proper home among the rest of our collaborations with his lyrics.
“We knew we needed to add some twists and turns to make this version special and fitting for this collection, so we gave it the Tulsa treatment.”
Given the universality and timelessness of Woody Guthrie’s lyrical themes, and Dropkick Murphys’ popularity around the world, the songs from these two albums have resonated worldwide.
In February, at the band’s sold-out London Wembley Arena show, vocalist Ken Casey tailored the chorus of union anthem All You Fonies (from TMSKF) to the room, replacing “Fonies” with “Tories.”
All You Tories
That timely lyrical shift brought Guthrie’s decades-old lyric into the modern-day malaise of countless British unions (maritime, rail, transit, nurses, firefighters, postal workers, teachers, health care workers and more) battling with the nation’s corporate elite and Tory politicians.
The band released a video for All You Tories featuring performance footage and animation, with the song dedicated to the strikjing RMT and NHS workers in the UK.
The vinyl edition of Okemah Rising includes an exclusive bonus song, Talking Hard Work. Vinyl pre-orders made via the band’s web store HERE will include a free limited edition 7in with acoustic versions of DKM classics Barroom Hero and Skinhead On The MBTA, recorded live at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
These are exclusive to the Dropkick Murphys web store and will not be sold at retail. Three exclusive Okemah Rising T-shirt designs are also available.
With singer Al Barr taking time out to care for his ailing mother, the line-up for Okemah Rising is Ken Casey (lead vocals), Tim Brennan (guitars, tin whistle, accordion, piano, vocals), Jeff DaRosa (guitars, banjo, mandolin, vocals), Matt Kelly (drums, percussion, and vocals), James Lynch (guitars and vocals), Kevin Rheault (bass).
This chapter of the band’s history will be captured in a documentary following their journey writing, recording, and performing the 20 songs they’ve crafted around Guthrie’s previously unheard lyrics for the two albums.
The band are also gearing up for their famous St. Patrick’s Day Tour, with one of the March 17 shows in their hometown being live streamed via Veeps. Tickets are available HERE.
