Dropkick Murphys are once again turning folk legend Woody Guthrie's words into new songs with Okemah Rising.
The upcoming album is due out May 12 and follows 2022's This Machine Still Kills Fascists. As with its predecessor, Okemah Rising features new, original music by the Celtic punk outfit set to previously unpublished writings by Guthrie.
You can listen to the first single, "I Know How It Feels," now via digital outlets. Okemah Rising also features a collaboration with Violent Femmes and a new version of the signature Murphys tune "I'm Shipping Up to Boston," which itself is based on Guthrie's lyrics.
"Many people never realized 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," says vocalist/bassist Ken Casey. "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."
Dropkick Murphys launch a U.S. tour Wednesday night in Charlotte. The outing includes the group's annual St. Patrick's Day show in Boston, which will stream live online on March 17.
Here's the Okemah Rising track list:
"My Eyes Are Gonna Shine"
"Gotta Get to Peekskill" feat. Violent Femmes
"Watchin the World Go By"
"I Know How It Feels"
"Rippin Up the Boundary Line" feat. Jesse Ahern
"Hear the Curfew Blowin"
"Bring It Home" feat. Jaime Wyatt
"When I Was a Little Boy"
"Run Hitler Run"
"I'm Shipping Up to Boston -- Tulsa Version"