(Ashton-Magnuson Media) Dropkick Murphys' journey interpreting the work of Woody Guthrie for a new generation continues with Okemah Rising, out now 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."
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"
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