So naturally, when speaking to guitarist James Lynch on the phone from his Boston home, I was hesitant to bring up the recent collapse of the Boston Red Sox on the last game of the season. But Lynch’s response was fairly indicative not just of his attitude, but that of the Dropkick Murphys’ as a whole.
“Ah, it’s alright. We’ll get ’em next year.”
No whining, no blaming the umpires, no wispy rhetoric; just an acknowledgement that life goes on and the promise that things can only get better. It’s a sound statement from the Murphys, who give due props to the place they call home.
“Boston is a big city that feels like a small town. You know, there’s a love of our sports teams here. You don’t have to be a huge baseball fan to be a [Boston] Red Sox fan. You live in the town, you support the team. And I feel like it’s for that same reason that the city has been so good to us.”
There is a risk in that associating yourself so closely with a city, as fans who’ve never visited Boston might find the band’s methodology difficult to be a part of. Lynch disagrees though, and confirms this is not the case for neither the band nor their fans.
“We’ve been lucky enough to do very, very well everywhere we’ve been. People often tell me that it doesn’t matter that we are from Boston; we make them proud to be where they’re from. It’s just a matter of being proud of where you come from, but where we come from.”
Stirring, rousing emotions are not in short supply when it comes to Dropkick Murphys. Their records exude a sense of pride both in yourself and the good people around you, but also a sense of defiance to those who would hamper your pursuit of happiness. Evidence of this can be felt at a Dropkick Murphys’ live show, where fans are often welcomed onstage by the band and through their charity work, supporting various unions across the United States.
Going Out In Style , the band’s latest full-length, does not break from the traditional Dropkick Murphys mould, sonically-speaking. Inspiring punk built on traditional Irish rhythm, Going Out In Style tells the story of Cornelius Larkin, a fictional character who looks back on his life – and perhaps mirrors the band’s appreciation for their friends and families. So is Going Out In Style a retrospective for the band, or a chance to pay tribute to their friends and families? Lynch doesn’t think so.
“There’s always a touch of that in everything. We’re always conscious of paying tribute to people that have helped us along the way. But it’s funny, I think (Going Out In Style) is a look to the future for us. It was our first time working with (Producer) Ted Hutt who we’re going to be working with on the next album as well. I feel like the band was reborn. For the first time, our newest member Jeff DaRosa did some of the writing with us. It was an exciting process and it felt new again. I feel like we could do ten more records now. I can’t wait to do the next one.”
The Dropkick Murphys seem then to be in a good place. Years of different band members (thirteen people in all were at one time, part of the band) have not fazed them. They continue to me one of the most dependable voices in punk rock, something Lynch understands well. Like the Red Sox, Dropkick Murphys will continue to ply their craft and ultimately, keep their eyes focused on the future.
“I think it’s a testament to the fact that the band is more than the sum of its parts. As long as the people that care about the band are up there doing it, then it’ll get done. It’s a lot of work and at times it’s not an easy life but the people that are up onstage want to be there. Hopefully it stays like this for awhile.”
