Billy Bragg will release ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’, his tenth studio album, on October 8th 2021 on the Cooking Vinyl label. The album, the first pandemic blues album of our times but also a heartfelt paean to human resilience, features 12 soulful country rock gems. The record was produced by Romeo Stodart and Dave Izumi at Echo Zoo studio in Eastbourne. All songs are written by Billy Bragg apart from the final song (Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained), which is co-written by Billy’s son Jack Valero.
PRE-ORDER the new album from the official store here: https://billybragg.lnk.to/TMTTNH
The new single, ‘I Will Be Your Shield’, is available on all streaming platforms. Listen here: https://billybragg.lnk.to/IWBYS
Says Billy: “To me this (I Will Be Your Shield) is the heart and soul of the album. I’ve come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music – that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation similar to that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, really resonates.”
On Thursday 9th September ‘21, a month prior to the album release, an online concert experience exploring the music and mind of Billy Bragg will be streamed on the Stabal platform. The show will feature the first outing of some songs from the new album, plus some nuggets from Bragg’s illustrious catalogue. He is joined onstage by Romeo Stodart (gtr), Michele Stodart (bass), Darren Beckett (drums), Nick Pynn (lap steel gtr, violin) and Jack Valero (gtr), who all played on ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’.
‘Billy Bragg on’…will also offer On-Demand passes with bonus features that will include extra encore performances, exclusive interviews, a look at his new album, an in depth songwriting discussion with Billy and Romeo, plus a behind-the-scenes look into the making of ‘Billy Bragg on…’
‘Billy Bragg on’…| An Online Concert Experience supports the work of Music Venue Trust, a charity of which Billy Bragg is a patron. Fans who purchase tickets to the online event will have the opportunity to donate to the trust at checkout. To find out more about the trust head, to https://musicvenuetrust.com/
The full tracklisting of ‘The Million Things That Never Happened’ is:
1. Should Have Seen It Coming
2. Mid-Century Modern
3. Lonesome Ocean
4. Good Days And Bad Days
5. Freedom Doesn’t Come For Free
6. Reflections On The Mirth Of Creativity
7. The Million Things That Never Happened
8. The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here No More
9. I Believe In You
10. Pass It On
11. I Will Be Your Shield
12. Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained
Billy Bragg previously announced a tour of the UK in the autumn and is very excited to put the last nearly two years behind us and get back to what he does best. Following his UK run of shows, Billy will return to tour Australia & New Zealand in early 2022.
AUSTRALIAN / NZ TOUR DATES 2022
FREMANTLE – FRI 14 JAN – FREO.SOCIAL – NIGHT 1
FREMANTLE – SAT 15 JAN – FREO.SOCIAL – NIGHT 2
FREMANTLE – SUN 16 JAN – FREO.SOCIAL – NIGHT 3
ADELAIDE – THU 20 JAN – THE GOV – NIGHT 1
ADELAIDE – FRI 21 JAN – THE GOV – NIGHT 2
ADELAIDE – SAT 22 JAN – THE GOV – NIGHT 3
SYDNEY – THU 27 JAN – ENMORE THEATRE – NIGHT 1
SYDNEY – FRI 28 JAN – ENMORE THEATRE – NIGHT 2
SYDNEY – SAT 29 JAN – ENMORE THEATRE – NIGHT 3
MELBOURNE – WED 2 FEB – FORUM – NIGHT 1
MELBOURNE – THU 3 FEB – FORUM – NIGHT 2
MELBOURNE – FRI 4 FEB – FORUM – NIGHT 3
BRISBANE – TUE 8 FEB – THE TIVOLI – NIGHT 1
BRISBANE – WED 9 FEB – THE TIVOLI – NIGHT 2
BRISBANE – THU 10 FEB – THE TIVOLI – NIGHT 3
WELLINGTON – SUN 13 FEB – THE OPERA HOUSE – NIGHT 1
WELLINGTON – MON 14 FEB – THE OPERA HOUSE – NIGHT 2
WELLINGTON – TUE 15 FEB – THE OPERA HOUSE – NIGHT 3
AUCKLAND – FRI 18 FEB – BRUCE MASON CENTRE
CHRISTCHURCH – SAT 19 FEB – TOWN HALL