Mark Knopfler’s tenth solo studio album, One Deep River, is set for release on April 12 on his own British Grove label via Blue Note/EMI. The record will feature 12 new songs, highlighting Knopfler’s warm Geordie vocals, his poetic storytelling and richly melodic guitar playing—pre-order/pre-save the LP here.
The first single from the album, “Ahead Of The Game,” is out now, a wistful story about a singer/songwriter struggling to make it, set to a distinctively Knopfler riff—listen/share here.
The album’s title track, “One Deep River,” reflects Knopfler’s deep affection for the river that runs through his childhood home city of Newcastle. “Crossing the Tyne is always on your mind,” he says. “It’s what you were doing when you were leaving as a youngster and that feeling is always the same every time you do it. You’re heading out or you’re coming back, and it just connects with your childhood. The power of it doesn’t go away.”
One Deep River offers an unstoppable flow of future Knopfler classics, with their customarily learned lyrics and refined guitar textures. They draw on a lifetime of genre-crossing ingredients and influences in blues, folk, rock and beyond.
One Deep River was produced by Knopfler and his longstanding collaborator Guy Fletcher and was recorded at his state-of-the-art British Grove Studios in London. The album will be available on CD, double gatefold vinyl, cassette and a special limited-edition box set that will include the album on both vinyl and CD with nine exclusive bonus tracks on LP and CD, a litho print of Knopfler, a guitar pick set and tin and an enamel badge.
The band on One Deep River features Mark Knopfler on guitars, Jim Cox and Guy Fletcher on keyboards, Glenn Worf on bass, Ian Thomas on drums, Danny Cummings on percussion, Richard Bennett on guitar and newcomer Greg Leisz on pedal and lap steel; Mike McGoldrick provides whistle and uilleann pipes and John McCusker plays fiddle, while the Topolski sisters Emma and Tamsin add backing vocals. All songs are written by Knopfler.
Mark Knopfler, singer-songwriter, record producer and composer, is one of the most successful musicians the UK has ever produced and is often cited as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He first came to prominence in the 80s as leader of Dire Straits, who created many of the signature songs of the era. Knopfler broke up the band in 1995 and set off on a new path as a solo artist. In the ensuing years Knopfler has released nine solo albums of sophisticated rootsy rock and has continued to tour the globe with his band. Over the years, Mark has written the music for several films, including Local Hero, Cal, The Princess Bride, Last Exit To Brooklyn and Wag The Dog and has played and recorded with a number of artists, including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, Tina Turner, Randy Newman and Chet Atkins. Knopfler was made an OBE in 1999 and was given the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the Ivor Novellos in 2012.
ONE DEEP RIVER TRACKLIST
1. Two Pairs Of Hands
2. Ahead Of The Game
3. Smart Money
4. Scavengers Yard
5. Black Tie Jobs
6. Tunnel 13
7. Janine
8. Watch Me Gone
9. Sweeter Than The Rain
10. Before My Train Comes
11. This One’s Not Going To End Well
12. One Deep River
BONUS VINYL TRACKLIST (IN BOX SET)
1. Dolly Shop Man
2. Your Leading Man
3. Wrong’un
4. Chess
BONUS CD TRACKLIST (IN BOX SET)
1. The Living End
2. Fat Chance Dupree
3. Along A Foreign Coast
4. What I’m Gonna Need
5. Nothing But Rain
