Dropkick Murphys released the single “I Know How It Feels” last Wednesday, May 1st, a declaration of empathy for the middle and working classes. The release was accompanied by the announcement of their new album, Okemah Rising , which will be available via Dummy Luck Music on May 12th.
Fans have also already had a taste of the unreleased track "Gotta Get To Peekskill," which was performed on the French television program Taratata .
Okemah Rising was recorded during the same Tulsa sessions as its predecessor, This Machine Still Kills Fascist (2022). Produced by Ted Hutt , the upcoming acoustic album was created around previously unreleased lyrics by Woody Guthrie . Pre-orders are now available .
“Every night, when the audience sings along to Woody’s words, his staunch defense of the working class and his fight against social injustice and the abuse of political power comes through loud and clear. So, as long as Dropkick Murphys is involved, Woody’s message will always be heard,” vocalist Ken Casey in a statement released to the press.
The artist also commented on the reinterpretation of the hit “I'm Shipping Up To Boston” that will be present in the project: “Many people never realized that the lyrics to 'I'm Shipping Up To Boston' were written by Woody Guthrie, so we felt it was important to include the song in 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 to make this version special and suitable for this collection, so we gave it the Tulsa treatment.”.
In March, the band continues its annual schedule of performances celebrating St. Patrick's Day. The show on the 17th will be streamed live starting at 10 PM (Brasilia time) via Veeps , and tickets are already available for purchase . More information can be found on the official tour website .
This entire journey into the new musical era will be documented in a film.
Below, in addition to the cover art and tracklist for Okemah Rising , check out the music video for "I Know How It Feels":
Dropkick Murphys: Okemah Rising
1. My Eyes Are Gonna Shine
2. Gotta Get To Peekskill (featuring Violent Femmes)
3. Watchin The World Go By
4. I Know How It Feels
5. Rippin Up The Boundary Line (featuring Jesse Ahern)
6. Hear The Curfew Blowin
7. Bring It Home (featuring Jaime Wyatt)
8. When I Was A Little Boy
9. Run Hitler Run
10. I'm Shipping Up To Boston – Tulsa
Bonus Version (Vinyl)
11. Talking Hard Work
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