Our new album ‘Kick The Curb’ is released 30th September 2022! Pre-order a CD now >>

 

It’s been a long time coming: our last record ‘Reprobates’ came out way back in 2016. But we’re incredibly proud of these 12 new tracks, and think they’re worth the wait.

 

The last couple of years have been tumultuous for Blackbeard’s Tea Party. Martin and Tim decided 2020 was the right time to move on from the band (all very amicable, we promise) just as the coronavirus outbreak hit. So we were faced with the challenge of finding two new members and writing new music amidst a global pandemic and national lockdown. That meant no face-to-face rehearsals, no gigs and no income for the band.

 

But rather than break us, this perfect storm was a lightning-bolt of new energy, ideas and enthusiasm. It really shows in the music. Ben and Paddy joined on guitar and bass respectively – two amazingly talented and creative musicians – and we wrote the whole album over Zoom calls and multi-tracked voice notes. So while the new album doesn’t directly address the roller-coaster of the last two-and-a-half years, the context is unavoidable.

 

It’s a real party record. Remember the novelty of that first lockdown, and all the crazy, fun, silly, creative ways everyone made it bearable? ‘Kick the Curb’ is in that spirit – 40(ish) minutes of collaborative, celebratory folk-rock. There are lots of singalong moments, and plenty of foot-tappers. We’ve already released three singles from the album, and we can’t wait for you to hear ‘Kick the Curb’ in full.

 

Kick The Curb tracklisting

 

1. Waves. A full-throttle arrangement of Aidan O’Rourke’s tune ‘Waves of Kyuss’.

 

2. Roll & Go. Our version of the traditional sea-shanty ‘Randy Dandy Oh’. Watch the video >>

 

3. Jim Jones. The traditional Australian folk ballad ‘Jim Jones at Botany Bay’ in which a convicted poacher plots revenge against his captors.

 

4. The Broken Fence. A couple of groovy reels: ‘The Broken Fence’, written by Laura, and the traditional tune ‘Julia Delaney’s’.

 

5. Huldra. A Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman song about the dangers of meeting strange women in forests.

 

6. John’s Gone To Hilo. Another sea-shanty. Watch the video >>

 

7. The Third Wheel. A couple of stomping jigs: ‘Roundhouse’, written by our friend Matt Crum, and ‘The Third Wheel’, written by Laura.

 

8. Deeper Well. A country song about addiction, written by David Olney, that we first heard sung by Emmylou Harris.

 

9. The Bullingdon Club. A song that Stuart wrote about the party lifestyles of Prime Ministers in waiting.

 

10. Kick the Curb. A tune written by Paddy with a touch of prog-rock about it.

 

11. The Old Dun Cow. A classic music hall song by Harry Wincott about a group of pub regulars determined to drink the bar dry, despite the pub being on fire. Watch the video >>

 

12. Coats Off For Britain. A Leon Rosselson song from 1975 which still feels very relevant today.

 

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