‘Slow Down’ by Dropkick
from the album ‘Balance The Light’ released 25th March 2016
Rock Indiana Records / Sound Asleep Records
‘Balance The Light’ is Dropkick’s most accomplished and creative collection of songs to date, demonstrating a growing maturity and confidence in their songwriting and arrangements. ‘Balance The Light’ showcases the ear for melody and harmony that has helped Dropkick’s music appeal to a growing band of fans around the world and is their most varied album of material to date. Their 14th album, ‘Balance The Light’ features the vocals and guitar talents of Roy W. Taylor, returning to the band after a 5 year hiatus, replacing founding member Alastair Taylor. Recorded mostly live in their own Edinburgh rehearsal space, ‘Balance The Light’ is the sound of a band at the peak of their powers, drawing on a variety of influences across genres to create a unique mix of Pop, Americana and Folk.
Since the release of their self-titled, self-released debut album in 2001, the band has now released a total of 13 albums and 3 EPs, making them one of Scotland’s most prolific bands. Their 2008 album ‘Dot The I’ was re-issued on Rock Indiana Records of Spain and was also “album of the week” on BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal. In autumn 2008 Dropkick’s relationship with Sound Asleep Records of Sweden began with the release of the critically acclaimed album ‘Patchwork’. This was followed by a further 3 albums and 1 EP over the next four years. In 2013, Dropkick released the ‘Homeward’ which was well received and was also been licensed for release in Spain on the Discos Bobo Integral label. The album saw Dropkick expand to a 5 piece line up for the first time, allowing the band to explore new sounds, showcasing organ and synths, creating a richer production with more sonic depth than previous releases. In 2014, Dropkick revived their relationship with Spanish label, Rock Indiana Records, to release a compilation of tracks from their earlier, hard to find, albums. The compilation, ‘Good Vibes: The Dropkick Songbook Vol.1’ was released specifically to coincide with a highly successful, headline tour of Spain.
Dropkick have played countless numbers of gigs in their career, including several headline Scottish tours, the Darvel Festival, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, International Pop Overthrow Festival, Summer Pie Festival Mallorca, numerous Spanish shows (including an album launch gig in Madrid in May 2011) and, most recently, 7 headline shows in Spain. They have also had significant airplay recently, including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio Scotland’s Tom Morton, Roddy Hart, Brand New Country, Iain Anderson, Get It On, Vic Galloway and Janice Forsyth shows. Dropkick have performed 10 songs live on the Tom Morton Show on BBC Radio Scotland, firstly on an outside broadcast in July 2007 and then at the BBC studios in Glasgow as part of a Children In Need special. They have also played live on the same station’s ‘Highland Café’ show in July 2008 and again in July 2009. Elsewhere, Dropkick have had a huge amount of airplay around the world, but most notably in Spain where the band’s popularity increased dramatically thanks to the internet. In 2015, Dropkick, played a live song for Balcony TV, filmed in Palma, Mallorca and showcased worldwide online.
In recent years Dropkick have shared the stage with acts such as Mark Olson (The Jayhawks), Seasick Steve, The Primary 5, Half Man Half Biscuit, Snow Patrol, Kit Clark (ex-Danny Wilson), The Hazey Janes, Nigel Clark (Dodgy), The Lost Brothers, Sid Griffin (The Long Ryders), Aberfeldy, Roddy Hart & The Lonesome Fire, Andrew Wazlysk (Idlewild), The Supernaturals and ‘Guitar George’ Borowski. Andrew Taylor has also produced recordings by many other bands, most notably the critically acclaimed albums “The Long Haul” and ‘The End of the Golden Age’ by The Wynntown Marshals.
Following a short German and Scottish tour in April and some festival appearances in the summer, Dropkick will head to Spain once again for a 5 date tour in October 2016.
