Prelude Press
Prelude Press – An independent music outlet focused on discovering and sharing the best emerging artists and diving deeper with the ones you already love.
Belfast’s KNEECAP have announced details of their new album, FENIAN, which is out via Heavenly Recordings on April 24. It follows their critically acclaimed 2024 album, Fine Art and BAFTA and Sundance-award-winning self-titled biopic.
They have today also released “Liars Tale“, the first single from the album which is accompanied by a video directed by Thomas James.
On the album, the trio of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí said: “They tried to stop us by branding Kneecap ‘terrorists’, with cancellations, with statements from the Prime Minister himself.
We had all the motivation we needed…this isn’t a swift reaction, but a considered response to those that tried to silence us. And failed.
Made with Dan Carey, a producer we are honored to have worked with. It’s a more sinister sound…because these are sinister times. But also defiant and triumphant.
Inspired by, and proudly named ‘Fenian’, who were warriors in Irish folklore, and later a derogatory term for the Irish.
Now we’re using it to name everyone speaking truth to power.
After 800 years of colonisation, they thought the Irish language would die, it didn’t. Thanks to Muintir na Gaeltachta, and all the Gaels who refused to let their culture and language be destroyed.
And Kneecap is much the same…we haven’t gone away.
The Paddies are back.”
If anyone was mad enough to think KNEECAP would buckle under the pressure exerted by the British political establishment, then listen to “Liars Tale”. This riotous punk-rave track eviscerates Keir Starmer’s craven attempts to silence and suppress Kneecap’s movement. The Tories-in-Labour-clothing are the targets. Directly confronting the ludicrousness of politicians coming for artists, all driven by an 80s rock stomp of a riff reinvigorated with rave-punk chaos.
Talking about the track, which was recorded with producer Dan Carey in his South London studio during the album sessions, Kneecap said:
“Starmer is a scumbag, don’t accept it. There’s no good in their politics and the belly of the beast is feeding overseas.”
Thomas James, the director, added about the video:
“For me, this needed to be punk, absurd, abrasive and wild. An ugly reflection of the world we find ourselves in; utter fucking chaos. We talked around the idea of a ‘carnival of distraction’ – and for me, this meant as many ideas as would squeeze into the 3 minutes, that embody the 2+2=5 hell-scape we seem to be surrounded by.
A whirlwind of Irish mythology, of satire, of anger. A vehicle for what the boys have been through, but likewise, for what everyone is witnessing. It’s not often you get to work with a band who have a genuine fire, and a selfless interest in trying to help people. And that for all of us involved, was important.
The video became a nightmarish fuck you to the powers that be, with a wry smile and a lubed up prop selection.”
The album is available on CD, cassette, DL, black vinyl, tricolor splatter vinyl, and exclusive editions via WhatsApp, Bandcamp and Rough Trade.
The album is available to pre-order HERE.
The last 12-months saw the Belfast trio perform one of the the most talked about Glastonbury sets in recent years on West Holts stage, play headline slots at Wide Awake, 2000 Trees & Green Man festivals, make the jump to arena level headliners with shows at the 3Arena in Dublin, Wembley Arena and OVO Hydro in Glasgow, find themselves in the middle of a media and political maelstrom for vocally advocating for peace and Palestinian freedom at last year’s Coachella and release three stunning stand-alone singles, “THE RECAP” ft. Mozey, “Sayōnara” a collaboration with Paul Hartnoll of Orbital and “No Comment”, featuring DJ / producer Sub Focus.
EU/UK Festival Dates
May 29-30 – AVA, Belfast, IE
Jun 6 – Primavera, Barcelona, ES
Jun 11 – Primavera, Porto, PT
Jun 13 – Festi’Neuch, Neuchatel, FR
Jun 27 – Crystal Palace Park, London, UK
Jul 1 – Open’er Festival, Gdynia, PL
Jul 2 – Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, DK
Jul 4 – Rock Werchter, Werchter, BE
Jul 18 – PhilGood Festival, Plovdiv, BG
Jul 21 – All Together Now, Waterford, IE
Aug 12-16 – Boomtown, Winchester, UK
Aug 28-30 – Reading & Leeds Festivals, UK