Kneecap have shared another taster for their forthcoming album, Fenian.
Smugglers & Scholars is the follow-up to last month’s Liars Tale single, and is the second track to be released from the follow-up to 2024’s acclaimed Fine Art. The moody and intense single, titled as a play on Ireland’s historical reputation as The Land of Saints And Scholars, is a reflection on Ireland’s recent past, and specifically decades of political violence in the North of Ireland, and its impact on Irish society.
“Ya think it’s all poetry and clovers,” one section of the song’s lyrics run, “When it’s raincoats and police Land Rovers. Salt of the earth, looking over their shoulder. Someone shot in turn, chopper hovering over.“
Speaking about the single, Kneecap say that Smugglers & Scholars is “a track that’s reminiscing on Revolutionary times in Ireland, driven by a hopefulness, when the working class, academics and good people everywhere united and took action in search of a better future.”
Listen to the song below.
Fenian, produced by Dan Carey (Shame/Kae Tempest/Wet Leg), is set for release on April 24 on Heavenly Recordings. It can be pre-ordered here. The band promise “More darkness. More confrontation. More craic. More energy. More solidarity. More absolute bangers.”
“It’s a more sinister sound…because these are sinister times,” the Belfast/Derry trio have previously stated. “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 tracklist for Fenian is:
1. Éire go Deo
2. Smugglers & Scholars
3. Carnival
4. Palestine (ft. Fawzi)
5. Liars Tale
6. FENIAN
7. Big Bad Mo
8. Headcase
9. An Ra
10. Cold At The Top
11. Occupied 6
12. Gael Phonics
13. Cocaine Hill (ft. Radie Peat)
14. Irish Goodbye (ft. Kae Tempest)
The band are to make live appearances to coincide with the album release.
They will appear at:
Apr 23: Kingston Circuit, with Banquet Records (evening)
Apr 24: Brighton Chalk,with Resident Records (evening)
Apr 25: Bristol Fleece, with Rough Trade (matinee & evening)
Apr 26: Nottingham Rescue Rooms, with Rough Trade (matinee & evening)
Apr 28: Dundee Live House, with Assai (evening)
Ap 29 : Edinburgh Liquid Rooms, with Assai (evening)
Apr 30: London TBC with Rough Trade East (evening & matinee)
A full European tour will follow in the summer.