For their forthcoming release, Flogging Molly decided on a change of location and tone. The Celtic punk-inspired ensemble traveled eastward from their longtime base of Los Angeles to Detroit, in order to capture the ongoing U.S. economic collapse for their writing process. The resulting effort, as accordion player Matt Hensley reported to NewsOK, is about “where the country’s at right now, how a lot of jobs are being lost and livelihoods are being flushed down the toilet by, to some degree, corporate greed and weirdness in the economy”.
The political tones continue through the Speed of Darkness’ 12-song tracklist, with titles like “Revolution”, “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down”, and “Rise Up”. Produced by Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers), lead singer Dave King says via press release, Speed of Darkness “wasn’t the album we set out to write. It became the album we had to write.”
The album is due for release May 31st via the band’s newly founded imprint, Borstal Beat Records. As previously reported, you can hear the album’s lead single, “Don’t Shut ‘Em Down”, in exchange for the price of an email address (check out the widget here).
In support of the release, Flogging Molly will spend most of the spring on the road. If you live in Chicago and want to see ’em, drop a comment below telling us your favorite Flogging Molly song of all time. We’ll pick a winner on Sunday. For all non-Chicagoans, find the rest of the band’s confirmed tour dates below.
Speed of Darkness Tracklist:
01. Speed of Darkness
02. Revolution
03. The Heart of the Sea
04. Don’t Shut ‘Em Down
05. The Power’s Out
06. So Sail On
07. Saints & Sinners
08. Present State of Grace
09. The Cradle of Human Grace
10. Oliver Boy (All of Our Buys)
11. A Prayer For Me in Silence
12. Rise Up
Flogging Molly 2011 Tour Dates:
03/04 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
03/05 – Nashville, TN @ War Memorial Auditorium
03/07 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/08 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
03/10 – Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
03/11 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
03/12 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
03/13 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
03/15 – Oklahoma, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
03/17 – Tempe, AZ @ Luckyman’s St. Patrick’s Day Bash
03/18 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beach at Mandalay Bay
03/19 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
04/15 – Indio, CA @ Coachella Music Festival
04/22 – Meerhout, BE @ Groezrock Festival
04/27 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s
04/28 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theater
05/04 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Colorado Springs City Auditorium
05/27 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
05/28 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
05/29 – George, WA @ Sasquatch! Music Festival
06/09 – Interlaken, CH @ Greenfield Festival
07/11 – Muenster, DE @ Vainstream Festival
07/12 – Nickelsdorf, AT @ Novarock Festival
07/14 – Zegreb, HR @ Boogaloo
07/15 – Milan, IT @ Rock In Idro
07/17 – Neuhaisen og Eck, DE @ Southside Festival
07/18 – Luxebburg. LU @ Rockhal
07/19 – Scheebel, DE @ Hurricane Festival
07/21 – Stockholm, SE @ Grona Lund
07/23 – Brague, CZ @ City Festival
