Dropkick Murphys' new album lands at No. 8

January 17, 2017

Dropkick Murphys released their newest LP, 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory, on Friday, Jan. 6 through their own label, Born & Bred Records.

That album—the band's ninth—has debuted at No. 8 on Billboard's Top 200 chart. It also took No. 1 spots on the Independent Album chart, Rock Album chart, Physical Release chart, Vinyl chart and Internet chart, and it was the second-best selling current album.

Falling just five thousand units behind the No. 1 album, 11 Short Stories is the band's first full-length in four years and follows up 2013's Signed And Sealed In Blood.

Dropkick Murphys are starting tour in support of the new album next month. See the dates below!

Famed Boston natives, the Celtic punks found a change of pace in San Antonio, Texas to record this new record.

“To me, the whole journey starts with the fact we actually agreed to go—and then went—to Texas. Because we've never left home to make a record,” says bassist and founder Ken Casey. “As everyone's lives have become crazier and busier with kids and families, it's gotten harder to buckle down at home. We decided to leave Boston, go down to literally the middle of nowhere and lock ourselves in a room.”

While the album displays the Dropkick Murphys' fun-loving, Irish-infused punk, it does touch on some important topics, most prevalently Boston and the greater Northeast's silent opioid epidemic.

Casey founded the Claddagh Fund in 2009, which provides outreach to those struggling with addition.

“Whether it's just family, whether it's someone who's addicted, there is help in that if you're able to get help you need to give and don't don't ever give up on somebody. The song 'Dead End Kids' is about that, because once someone gets to that point, people write them off as a hopeless cause,” Casey says in a recent interview with AP.

Read that interview interview here, and watch the band's lead single from 11 Short Stories, “Blood,” below their tour dates.

Dates:

2/21/17 – Bethlehem, PA – Sands Bethlehem Event Center *+
2/22/17 – Columbus, OH – Express Live! *+
2/24/17 – Clive, IA – 7 Flags Event Center *+
2/25/17 – Hinckley, MN – The Grand Minnesota Taste Together *
2/26/17 – Sioux Falls, SD – The District *+
2/28/17 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theater *+
3/1/17 – Tulsa, OK – Cain's Ballroom *+
3/2/17 – Little Rock, AR – Metroplex Live *+
3/3/17 – Robinsonville, MS – Horseshoe Tunica – Bluesville *+
3/4/17 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City *+
3/6/17 – St. Petersburg, FL – Janus Live *
3/7/17 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live *
3/8/17 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues *
3/10/17 – Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues *+
3/11/17 – Washington, DC – Shamrockfest Dropkick Murphys ONLY
3/12/17 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount *+
3/15/17 – Boston, MA – TBA
3/16/17 – Boston, MA – TBA
3/17/17 – Boston, MA – TBA
3/18/17 – Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
3/18/17 – Boston, MA – After Party @ House Of Blues with Pro Boxing
3/19/17 – Boston, MA – TBA
* w/ Blood or Whiskey
+ w/ The Interrupters

Note: Following the March 18 Agganis Arena show, the band's official after party at House Of Blues on Lansdowne Street will feature the St. Patrick's Clash II Pro Boxing with local hero, U.S. Marine Afghan Veteran and undefeated Light Middleweight Mark “Bazooka” DeLuca (16-0, 10KOs), as well as top local talent and some of Ireland's best fighters. Proceeds from the after party will benefit The Claddagh Fund charities.