Richard Thompson Photograph by David Kaptein
The legendary Richard Thompson will return with Ship To Shore on May 31, 2024 via New West Records. The 12-song set was produced by Richard Thompson and recorded in Woodstock, NY. Ship To Shore follows his 2018 studio album 13 Rivers and his 2021 memoir Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975 which was published by Algonquin Books. Met with overwhelming critical acclaim, Pitchfork said 13 Rivers “may be his best album this century,” while Uncut Magazine awarded it a 9/10 rating, calling it “his best album in decades.”
The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist has been on a singular musical journey for over a half century, from his days in the ‘60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal ‘70s duo work with Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, deeply emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since. The time taken between 13 Rivers and Ship To Shore is something like an eternity for the prolific artist, but once Thompson began writing, new songs came in a burst of inspiration. To craft the album, he retreated to Woodstock, New York, where he was joined by his longtime band — guitarist Bobby Eichorn, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer Michael Jerome — along with harmony vocalist Zara Phillips, fiddle player David Mansfield, and engineer Chris Bittner. The team worked quickly — roughly a week to track, vocals included.
Ship To Shore pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. “I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there,” he says. “And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there’s also Scottish music, there’s Irish music. There’s jazz and country and classical. As far as I’m concerned, once you establish your base, you can reach out anywhere. It’ll still be you ringing through, wherever you decide to go musically.”
Today, Thompson shared the album highlight, “Singapore Sadie,” offering, “I have been playing this live over the past year or so and it has become a favorite. We recorded it really quickly in two or three takes and David Mansfield is featured on the fiddle.”
Richard Thompson has announced his initial tour dates in support of Ship To Shore. Prior to the album release, he will launch a brief North American tour on March 21 in Fairfield, CT. He will launch a 12-date UK tour in Bristol on May 26 that features a performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London on June 8. Thompson has also announced a performance at The Town Hall in New York City on October 18. Please see tour dates, with more to be announced, below.
Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. He left the group by the age of 21 which was followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist. In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The Los Angeles Times called him “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix” and Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. He has received lifetime achievement awards for songwriting from the BBC Radio 2 Awards, the Americana Music Association, and was awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello Award. His song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.” A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and many more. His massive body of work includes many Grammy nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks, including Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man and 2019’s The Cold Blue.
Thompson’s genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with engaging energy and onstage wit continue to earn him new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos and writers in Folk Rock history.
Richard Thompson’s Ship To Shore will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited “Deep Blue” color vinyl edition of 500 with a bonus orange flexi disc featuring a demo of the song “Trust” will be available via Rough Trade. An autographed compact disc edition and a limited Orange & Yellow Marble color vinyl edition featuring a 5×7 archival print autographed by Richard Thompson will be available via Independent Retailers and is available for pre-order NOW via NEW WEST RECORDS.
