For many of us in the UK folk scene, it is not really summer until you are breathlessly spinning around a field, to the demented rhythms of The Langan Band!

Their debut album Bones Of Contention, released in 2013, has been a much-loved soundtrack for many of our lives; tunes for dancing, drinking and meeting lovers. Sadly however, the release of this album marked a creative seizure in the band and for a decade we have been waiting for the next chapter.

With a reputation as something of the Bad Boys of Folk, no-one expected them to be organised, but ten years is a long time to be spinning around to the same set; many of us now dancing with our kids! It is a testimony however, to the quality of those songs and the strength of their performance, that they were enough to allow The Langan Band to headline festivals, year after year for ten years, with an unchanged set. Although we love them, new songs were definitely past due.

The big news; the wait is over! The Langan Band´s second album Plight o´ Sheep is written, recorded and will be released on the 5th May 2023.

And it is GOOD!

Being an earthy Scottish band, they rightly holed up in the Black Bay Studios in the outer Hebrides to make the album. Recorded live, it has captured the unruly flair of these rapscallions.

As usual, John Langan drives the rhythm on guitar and foot percussion, Alastair Caplin flies his virtuosic fiddle around the ceiling and Dave Tunstall madly pulsates his double bass, deep bellow with demonic intent.In wild abandon, John´s vocals playfully wail all over the place, often uplifted by huge life-affirming harmonies. I can´t say I have understood all the lyrics yet, some seem to be about sheep, some women. I suspect I might have some time to get to know them...

Although accomplished musicians, it has always been glorious to hear them not take themselves too seriously. Their approach to writing music is equally skilful and irreverent. With reckless intent, they mix Scottish, English, Irish and Middle Eastern modal folk with just about anything else they come across and then add a good splash of Cabaret, just of fun.

Songs such as single release One Whole Year and Sweetness offer a more reflective, introspective energy which didn´t appear so much on their previous album, but other tunes such as The Drunken Dwarf and Leg of Lamb retain the raucousness which led to The Langan Band´s popularity on the festival circuit.

The songs of the previous album had been toured for some time before recording; tried, tested and tweaked. These were written and recorded before being performed live and so we will have to see how they fair out, at midnight on the main stage, although I don´t think there is any doubt that the Langan Band will rock it.

Ten years is certainly a long time between releases, but the raw passion with which these musicians play with is still undeniable.

Plight O´Sheep is released on 5th May 2023. Well worth the wait!

Pre-Save Links: Plight o´ Sheep        One Whole Year          Leg Of Lamb

Album Launch Tour:

12th May St Luke´s, Glasgow

13th May Skye Live

20th May Jam Jar, Bristol

26th May Tolbooth, Stirling

27th-28th May Knockengorroch

10th June Fox & Firkin, London

www.thelanganband.com       Facebook: @thelanganband       Twitter: @thelanganband

photo credits: Jess Holdengarde