New York, NY (Top40 Charts) English folk-punks Skinny Lister have just announced a number of U.S. festival, headline and support dates in the U.S. during March. Kicking off on March 11 in Austin, TX at the SXSW
Music and Arts Festival, the band will also support labelmate
Frank Turner in Ventura, CA on March 15, perform as part of Shamrock Rebellion with
Flogging Molly across two dates, and make headline appearances on the west coast through March 24 with support from PET NEEDS.
Tickets for all shows are on sale now via the band's website, and a full listing of dates can be found below.
London-based independent powerhouse punk/rock label Xtra Mile Recordings recently issued Shanty Punk, a glorious, riotous mix of chest-thumping anthems, shanty sing-a-longs and folk/punk classics from Skinny Lister that demand to be played live.
Written and recorded by the band, mixed by Patrick Phillips and
Daniel Heptinstall, and mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Frank Arkwright, Shanty Punk is a concept album that is a pure distillation of what makes the long-standing band tick, and perhaps a collection of songs that leans further into the band's folk roots more than they've ventured in some years.
In true Skinny Lister style, Shanty Punk is a record full of drunken tales that beg to be told - like that time frontman
Daniel Heptinstall got in above his head in an arm-wrestling competition in Dresden ("Arm Wrestling In Dresden") and the pickle the band found themselves in after hiring the wrong driver for a US Tour ("Pittsburgh Punch Up"). Elsewhere, the LP features "Down On The Barrier," an arena-sized ripper that finds Skinny Lister worshiping at the immortal altar of live music via pogo-primed percussion, Pogues-y punk hooks, and a chorus that demands to be roared-out loud and proud.
There's of course also room for the obligatory poignant moment or two as well, such as "
Mantra" and album closer "Broken, Bruised & Battered." Even Party
George -
Lorna & Max's dad, who's become a cult legend amongst Skinny fans - makes an appearance, singing his self-penned "William Harker."
It's yet another tale that unashamedly takes its inspiration from the English public house, and a song that
George has often been found singing up on stage with the band over the years. There's also a down the line vocal and stomp, shanty-style track in the form of "13 Miles."
The follow-up to 2021's A Matter of Life & Love, a freewheeling record that pays homage to all the greatest things in life, Shanty Punk aims to touch base and celebrate the essence of the band a whole - who they are now and where they've been - while at the same time giving it a fresh and dynamic feel.
This throughline is even illustrated right down to the album artwork, which draws on the imagery most have associated with the band over the years; flagons, red shoes, boots and land rovers are all present and correct. If there's one album Skinny Lister has made that deserves the title Shanty Punk, this is certainly it.
Skinny Lister Tour Dates:
Skinny Lister will be making the following appearances in the U.S. during March. Dates below.
MARCH
11 — Austin, TX — SXSW (Xtra Mile Showcase at The Backyard at Downright Austin)
15 — Ventura, CA — The Majestic *
16 — Silverado, CA — Oak Canyon Park ^
17 — Las Vegas, NV — Downtown Las
Vegas Event Center ^
18 — Pioneertown, CA — Pappy and Harriet's #
19 — San Diego, CA — Brick by Brick #
21 —
Santa Cruz, CA — Moe's Alley #
22 — Reno, NV — Virginia St. Brewhouse #
24 — Sacramento, CA — Goldfield Trading Post #
* — supporting Frank Turner
^ — Shamrock Rebellion with Flogging Molly
# — PET NEEDS supporting.
