It’s been little more than a year since the release of Celtic punk rockers, the Dropkick Murphys last album, Going Out In Style. Yet the Massachusetts band gifted fans their new album, Signed And Sealed In Blood, last January.
For many bands, this type of fast turnaround between albums can make writing a difficult and arduous task. But for the Dropkick Murphys, the short time frame was a result of heightened inspiration and led to better developed songwriting, according to vocalist and bassist Ken Casey.
“Going Out In Style was a concept record, it was a little complicated in the sense that every song connected to a larger story. So when it came to doing this album it seemed… almost easy, because we’d taken that harder road of doing the concept album which made us better songwriters,” he said, comparing the writing processes on both albums.
“It just seemed like ‘we can write this album, piece of cake’, and the songs came together in a really fun, fast, organic manner and they’re catchy simple songs and that’s probably when we’re at our best,” Casey continued.
Despite having played together for more than 16 years and eight studio albums, Signed And Sealed In Blood still retains the classic, quintessential Dropkick Murphys sound.
“It’s who we are and what we do,” Casey says passionately, “there’s so many different stories to tell and there’s so much lyrical content with the characters we grew up with in Boston. I just feel like there’s an endless supply of ways to tell the story and there’s no need to change the sound and that’s just kind of the backdrop for the stories we’re telling.”“One time there was five nights in a row where we had a guy throw a leg up on the stage and there’d be a guy hopping around in the pit…” – Ken Casey
What makes the achievement of keeping the band’s sound similar all the more impressive, is the number of member changes they have endured. While Casey remains the only original member of the lineup, he says the changes have never posed a threat to the band.
“Anyone that’s ever joined the band over the years was always like a friend or a fan on the other side so they kind of came right into the band and knew everything about what it meant to be in the Dropkick Murphys,” explains Casey.
“I think as long as core band members are involved the sound will never change,” he continued adamantly.
As long as their sound doesn’t change, neither will the dedication of their fans, who have been known to throw limbs on stage during their shows. Yes, limbs… Well, not real limbs but prosthetic limbs belonging to amputee soldiers who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Casey described a bizarre scene that has repeated itself numerous times at shows during performances of the band’s song, “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” which contains the lyric “I lost my leg.”
“One time there was five nights in a row where we had a guy throw a leg up on the stage and there’d be a guy hopping around in the pit… so I guess they feel like we wrote a song for them,” he chortled.
“It’s cool though, we always return the leg to its rightful owner over a couple of beers and thank them for their effort,” he adds, dissuading any fears of permanent loss of body parts.
The Dropkick Murphys’ latest single, ‘The Season’s Upon Us’, is a Christmas song with a twist. It shows a dark but humorous side to the traditional family Christmas experience. Despite its ridiculing nature, Casey says his family enjoyed listening to the song.“I was working construction and bartending… my plan was to be a Special Ed teacher, a person who teaches all the trouble makers – which is what I was.” – Ken Casey
“Every family has a crazy uncle or two and so I think it didn’t necessarily mean that everything in that video [clip for ‘The Season’s Upon Us] reflected any one of our families; they all took a little laugh at it. Let’s face it, they all know it’s true,” Casey laughs before going on to explain a little more about the basis of the song.
“Some families, if they’re thrust together for a holiday that’s supposed to be all hugs and kisses for a day that can lead to a lot of chaos or to comedy or to crying or to all of the above so we just tried to take a look at the more realistic side of Christmas.”
While the song pokes fun at members of the band’s families, Casey is actually quite a family man; describing what it is like balancing touring and recording with family life.
“All I can equate it to is if you remember that when you were at school and summer vacation was just about to end and you had to go back to school and you just had this feeling in the pit of your stomach? That’s how I feel a few days before getting ready to go on tour,” he describes, before becoming far more optimistic.
“But on the other hand when I’m home I get to be home, and be there to take my kids to school… be there to do things with them when most of the other fathers are still at work. So it has its horrible drawbacks and it has its amazing privileges.”
For many of us, a world without the Dropkick Murphys is hard to imagine. But for Casey, the band’s formation was a happy accident.
“I was working construction and bartending and going to school to be a teacher so my plan was to be a Special Ed teacher, a person who teaches all the trouble makers – which is what I was,” he reveals. “Who knows, I never finished because I started this band as a joke and 16 years later it’s still going.”
There’s no doubt that fans all over the world are immensely grateful for the punchline.
Signed And Sealed In Blood is out now through Dew Process, read the Tone Deaf review here. Dropkick Murphys play as part of the lineup of the 24th annual Byron Bay Bluesfest and play sideshows with Frank Turner at the end of March/early April, full dates and details below.
Dropkick Murphys Australian Tour 2013 Dates
Sunday, 31st March – Panthers, Newcastle Lic AA
www.moshtix.com.au 1300 GET TIX
Monday, 1st April – Big Top Luna Park, Sydney Lic AA
www.oztix.com.au 1300 843 443, www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, www.bigtopsydney.com.au
Tuesday, 2nd April – Festival Hall, Melbourne Lic AA
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Wednesday, 3rd April – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide Lic AA
www.venuetix.com.au 08 8225 8888
Bluesfest 2013 Tickets & Dates
Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay
Thursday March 28th – Monday April 1st, 2013
Tickets: www.bluesfest.com.au
ph: 02 6685 8310
