Ska-legends Mighty Mighty Bosstones announced that on June 15th they will release a new 14-track record, titled While We’re At It, with new single “Wonderful Day For The Race” leading the way.
To say there’s excitement for 47 minutes of new Bosstones music after a 7 year album absence would be an understatement. This is the groups 10th studio album in what front-man Dicky Barrett claims to be angrier than most!
We caught up with Bosstones saxophonist Tim Burton and when asked what made this album angry, he dished: “Donald Trump! I think we felt very motivated to make a record and it happened kind of quick. Dicky called me around the holidays and asked if I had any songs. There was definitely a feeling among us that we wanted to make a statement about whats going on.” Tim goes on to share: “I think its a really cool record, there’s a lot of really fun songs. It’s like a lot of the Bosstones stuff where its political but at the same time its done in a poetic way. I wouldn’t say the music is angry, its a really fun ska record… Dicky usually has a vision for the message behind a record and seeing it as a whole. We’re children of the 70’s, some of us, and we come from that era where records were a statement!”
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones tapped producer Ted Hutt who has now produced the bands last three records which has evolved into sort of a musical trilogy so to speak with each of the albums being a cohesive statement in working with the same producer inside the same studio.
The albums first single “Wonderful Day For The Race” is a title inspired by an old saying front-man Dicky Barrett’s Dad use to say as Dicky tells Billboard: “As a dopey kid, I would go, ‘What race?’ And he would always go, ‘The human race.’ It’s a tribute to him as well as a good message. We’re lucky to have what we have. We have this day, and we have who we are in ourselves. If that’s your starting point, that’s pretty damn good.”
Dicky, who also serves as the announcer on Jimmy Kimmel Live! goes on to share: “That song was based on the insignificance of what we truly are, up against the importance of what we are. Our place in the universe and who we think we are versus who we really are. It flip-flops back and forth between those two thoughts, ultimately landing on the importance of love and unity.”
The artwork was done by Yo Yo Yosef who shared on his Instagram (@Yo_yo_yosef): “This project was a heavy dose of nostalgia for me; digging deep into the 1970’s for art inspiration, influenced by things from my childhood in the 80’s, while creating something new for a band I have loved since high school in the 90’s.”
You can pre-order the While We’re At It now by clicking HERE! In the meantime, go stream “Wonderful Day for the Race”, watch the video, find upcoming tour dates and additional links below.
Dicky concludes: “You can talk about the current political climate—I think people want to feel good this summer. Ska music is a way to do that. It’s worked in the past. Is it a coincidence? Maybe. As a guy that’s in a ska-punk band, am I hoping there’s some kind of resurgence? I don’t know. I’m going to do it anyway. I don’t need it to be a trend or be popular or anything. The Bosstones make Bosstones music whether it’s fashionable or not.”
Watch: Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “Wonderful Day For The Race”
Mighty Mighty Bosstones – While We’re At It Tracklist:
1.) Greenbay, Wisconsin
2.) The Constant
3.) Wonderful Day for the Race
4.) Unified
5.) Divide
6.) Closer to Nowhere
7.) Walked Like a Ghost
8.) The West Ends
9.) Here We Are
10.) The Mad Dash
11.) Absolutely Wrong
12.) In Honor Of
13.) Hugo’s Wife
14.) After the Music Is Over
Related Links:
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Website
Mighty Mighty Bosstones Facebook
Article By: Mike Patti
Photos By: David Norris
Watch: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – “The Impression That I Get”
