It’s the feel good song of the summer… if that summer was 1524! Blackbeard’s Tea Party breathe new life into this traditional drinking song by fusing it with a pop-punk sound. It evokes the feeling of long hazy days sitting in the sun and sharing a few beers with friends. The song is paired with a polka written by Blackbeard’s Tea Party’s fiddle player Laura Boston-Barber. The song is sure to be a hit at folk festivals this summer.
The song was a favourite of “pace-eggers” (an Easter-time tradition, similar to mumming, where people went from house to house singing songs and begging for eggs) and Blackbeard’s Tea Party pay homage to the pace-egging routes of the song in the music video, with a surreal interpretation of a traditional pace-egging costume.
The song is the first to be released from the forthcoming album, We are People due for release on 20th September. It is the fifth studio album from the folk rockers and the first to be dominated by the band’s original songs and tunes. Best-known for their punky interpretations of sea-shanties and folk tunes, this album is something of a departure for the band, bringing a political conscience to the fore. The signature sound is unchanged – a mix of high-octane folk tunes, heavy riffs, and a touch of glam and funk – but the subject matter includes Brexit, the cost-of-living crisis, the pandemic and populism.
Explaining the album name, Blackbeard’s Tea Party’s singer Stuart Giddens said:
“If you listen to politicians, watch the news, or scroll through social media it’s easy to believe that we’ve become incredibly divided and toxic as a country, and that the only issues that concern us are economic growth, sovereignty and so-called gender ideology. But when I volunteered at a food-bank during the pandemic I felt I glimpsed a different England, one that is essentially caring and accepting, where people’s main concerns are staying healthy and caring for their families. It felt to me sometimes like there were two Englands : the England I read about in the news, and the one I lived in every day.
There are lots of different ways to define folk music. One is “music of the people” and that definition is pertinent here. For this album, we wanted our music to reflect real-lived experiences – our own and those of people we’d spoken to – as we navigate these uncertain times. There is more that unites us than divides us: we are people.”
Blackbeard’s Tea Party haven’t completely abandoned trad folk though. There’s enough to keep long-in-the-tooth Blackbeard’s fans happy too, with a couple of English drinking songs, a prog-folk epic about a sea-witch, and even a song about syphilis!
The album is self released and was recorded at 6Db Studios with producer Dave Boothroyd. Blackbeard’s Tea Party are:
- Stuart Giddens – vocals and melodeon
- Laura Boston-Barber – fiddle
- Dave Boston – drums
- Benjamin Trott – electric guitar
- Patrick Lester-Rourke – bass guitar
Two more singles will be released before the album so look out for those: ‘England Bound‘ on 30th August and ‘I Am People‘ on 20th September.
If you want to catch them live (and we recommend you do) they will be at Barefoot, Chickenstock and Towersey Festivals or the following venues throughout the rest of this year.
Fri 4 Oct 2024 Reeth Memorial Hall Reeth, North Yorkshire
Fri 11 Oct 2024 The Greystones Sheffield
Sat 12 Oct 2024 Ropery Hall Barton-Upon-Humber
Wed 23 Oct 2024 Red Lion Folk Club Birmingham
Thu 24 Oct 2024 West End Centre Aldershot
Fri 25 Oct 2024 The Acorn Penzance
Sat 26 Oct 2024 Ragged Bear Festival Nuneaton
Fri 1 Nov 2024 Lowdham Village Hall Nottinghamshire
Sat 16 Nov 2024 Reepham & Cherry Willingham Village Hall Lincoln
Sun 17 Nov 2024 The Stables Milton Keynes
Fri 22 Nov 2024 Victoria Hall Settle, North Yorks
Fri 29 Nov 2024 Otley Courthouse Otley
Sat 30 Nov 2024 The Musician Leicester
Sun 1 Dec 2024 Alexander’s Chester
Fri 6 Dec 2024 The Crescent York
Sat 7 Dec 2024 John Peel Centre Stowmarket
‘When Jones’ Ale Was New’ is now available to stream everywhere:
You can pre-order the album here: we-are-people-pre-order
For further info please visit: www.blackbeardsteaparty.com
