Billy Bragg returns with new album this fall

Billy Bragg will release ‘The Million Things That Never Happened,’ his 10th studio album, on October 8 via Cooking Vinyl. It was produced by Romeo Stodart and Dave Izumi at Echo Zoo studio in Eastbourne, England. 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.

Bragg has unveiled the first song “I Will Be Your Shield.”

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 September 9, an online concert experience entitled ‘Billy Bragg On…’ will be streamed on the Stabal platform. Musicians in the live band all played on the album. 

'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…’.

The online concert 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/

Billy Bragg has released 9 solo studio albums: Life’s A Riot With Spy Vs Spy (1983); Brewing Up With Billy Bragg (1984); Talking With The Taxman About Poetry (1986); Workers’ Playtime (1988); Don’t Try This At Home (1991); William Bloke (1996); England, Half English (2002); Mr Love & Justice (2008); Tooth & Nail (2013); two albums with Wilco – (Grammy nominated) Mermaid Avenue (1998); Mermaid Avenue Vol II (2000); and one album with Joe Henry – Shine A Light: Field Recordings From The Great American Railroad (2016). He released a mini album Bridges Not Walls in 2017. His most recent release was The Best Of Billy Bragg At The BBC 1983-2019 (2019).

He has penned the acclaimed 2017 book Roots, Radicals & Rockers – How Skiffle Changed the World. More recently, his book The Three Dimensions of Freedom, an extended essay arguing that liberty must be tempered with a commitment to accountability, has been translated into German and Spanish.

Track listing:

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 Happenedq6
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