Dropkick Murphys’ journey interpreting the work of Woody Guthrie for a new generation continues with Okemah Rising, out today (May 12) via the band’s Dummy Luck Music / [PIAS]. The album – named for Woody‘s hometown of Okemah, OK – follows Dropkick Murphys’ highly-acclaimed This Machine Still Kills Fascists album, which exposed the band to new audiences through airplay on stations like SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, coverage in outlets such as Rolling Stone Country, Paste, CNN, Americana Highways and SPIN, and via Dropkick Murphys’ first-ever acoustic, reserved-seating theater tour in 2022.
With guest vocals from Jaime Wyatt, Okemah Rising‘s newest single, “Bring It Home,” showcases a more humorous side of Guthrie – but one that feels every bit as tailor-made for Dropkick Murphys as the working class anthems and protest songs found throughout these two albums.
Describing the song as a “foot-stomping Celtic singalong with our old pal Jaime Wyatt,” Dropkick Murphys‘ Ken Casey promises, “This one would have been right at home on any Dropkick album throughout our career.”
● Find the single here: https://dropkick-murphys.ffm.to/bringithome
● Order Okemah Rising here: https://dropkick-murphys.ffm.to/okemahrising
● Order the Okemah Rising CD and vinyl from the DKM web store here: https://dropkickmurphys.store
Okemah Rising is the final acoustic release from Dropkick Murphys’ recording sessions in Tulsa with trusted collaborator and producer Ted Hutt. This era in the band’s history will be captured in a documentary following their journey writing, recording, and performing the 20 songs they’ve crafted around Woody’s never-before-seen lyrics for these two albums.
In addition to “Bring It Home,” highlights of Okemah Rising include collaborations with folk punk progenitors Violent Femmes on “Gotta Get To Peekskill” and Bostonian upstart Jesse Ahern (whose forthcoming album will be released on Dropkick Murphys’ Dummy Luck Music label) on “Rippin Up The Boundary Line.” The album comes to a fitting and triumphant close with “I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Tulsa Version.” Dropkick Murphys reinvent and reinvigorate their most famous Guthrie collaboration acoustically without sacrificing any of its punch, passion, and power.
The song listing for Okemah Rising is as follows:
“My Eyes Are Gonna Shine”
“Gotta Get To Peekskill” (featuring Violent Femmes)
“Watchin The World Go By”
“I Know How It Feels”
“Rippin Up The Boundary Line” (featuring Jesse Ahern)
“Hear The Curfew Blowin”
“Bring It Home” (featuring Jaime Wyatt)
“When I Was A Little Boy”
“Run Hitler Run”
“I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Tulsa Version”
Dropkick Murphys will hit the road again soon for North American festivals (Punk Rock Bowling, Atlantic City Beer And Music Festival, Festivoix, Big Birthday Bash, FreshGrass North Adams), as well as summer European festivals and more U.S. dates to be announced soon. Visit https://dropkickmurphys.com/tour/ for all tour dates.
Dropkick Murphys Okemah Rising band members are: 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), and Kevin Rheault (bass).
For more on Dropkick Murphys, visit:
Website: www.DropkickMurphys.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DropkickMurphys
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dropkickmurphys
Twitch: www.twitch.tv/dropkickmurphys
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DropkickMurphys
YouTube: www.youtube.com/DropkickMurphys
About Dropkick Murphys: Dropkick Murphys proudly remain Boston’s rock ‘n’ roll underdogs turned champions. Since 1996, the boys have created the kind of music that’s meant to be chanted at last call, in packed arenas, and during the fourth quarter, third period, or ninth inning of a comeback rally. Their celebrated discography includes four consecutive Billboard top 10 album debuts (Turn Up That Dial, 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory, Signed and Sealed in Blood, Going Out In Style), along with 2005’s gold-selling The Warrior’s Code featuring the near double platinum classic “I’m Shipping Up To Boston.” Whether you caught a legendary gig at The Rathskeller (The Rat) under Kenmore Square, found the band by taking the T to Newbury Comics to cop Do Or Die in ’98, discovered them in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award winning The Departed, or saw ‘em throw down at Coachella (or one of hundreds of other festivals), you’ve become a part of their extended family. Dropkick Murphys’ music has generated half-a-billion streams, they’ve quietly moved 8 million-plus units worldwide and the band has sold out gigs on multiple continents. In 2020, the band was one of the first to embrace streaming performances, starting with their Streaming Up From Boston St. Patrick’s Day virtual performance. It was followed by their landmark Streaming Outta Fenway livestream, which drew more than 5.9 million viewers and held the #3 spot on Pollstar’s “Top 2020 Live Streams” chart. Dropkick Murphys St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021…Still Locked Down, was #1 on Pollstar’s Livestream chart for the week ending March 22, 2021, logging over 1 million views. Dropkick Murphys returned in 2022 with their first-ever all-acoustic album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists (Dummy Luck Music / [PIAS]), and seated theater tour. This Machine Still Kills Fascists–and their follow-up album Okemah Rising–breathe musical life into mostly unpublished lyrics by the legendary Woody Guthrie, curated for the band by Woody’s daughter Nora Guthrie.
