"We've always had the same message and haven't been afraid to speak out about what's important to us. But for me now, I think about my kids' future, and the next generation. That could be anything from speaking out against injustices, or just simply making sure you take the time to tell the people close to you how important they are to you", lead singer
Ken Casey said about the album's themes. "One Last Goodbye 'Tribute to Shane'", which features The Scratch, is a tribute to
the Pogues singer
Shane MacGowan who died on 30 November, 2023. The lyrics in the song include the line "‘Piss off, you wanker,’ you signed on my soul". Casey said that is how MacGowan signed his copy of the "
Dark Streets of London". Al Barr makes his long awaited return on the song "The Vultures Circle High". "Al is still taking time off for family but he's still part of our family, so we thought it would be nice to have his voice on this record", Casey said.
Billy Bragg appears on a cover of the
Ewan MacColl song "School Days Over", a favorite of Bragg's. "Billy’s become a great friend. It’s inspiring how he’s carried on the protest singer legacy. He really walks the walk." Casey said. "
Chesterfields and
Aftershave" was written about Casey's grandfather while "Streetlights" is about Casey's father who died when he was 8 years old. "I never thought that I would write a song about the day my dad died but sometimes, like a lot of our songs, suddenly the right words or the right way to say it will pop into my head. And it’s like, ‘OK, well, now it’s time to tell that story." "The Big Man" was written as an
ode to
Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge. "Many of these songs are about the issues that do harm to regular people. "For the People" is about… life. But life can be cruel, and I don’t want to side with the people that vote for cruelty, that vote against free school lunches for kids, and vote against workers' rights, and enable corporate greed in the growing wealth divide. So if the point is to have a heart and help people, where do those characteristics exist with those that side with the billionaires and the corporations over the worker and the child," Casey said. ==Promotion==