The legendary Richard Thompson returns with Ship To Shore today via New West Records. The 12-song set was produced by Thompson and recorded in Woodstock, NY. Ship To Shore follows his 2018 studio album 13 Rivers and his 2021 memoir Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice 1967-1975 which was published by Algonquin Books. Met with critical acclaim, the Associated Press called Ship to Shore “a gem,” while Uncut Magazine said “While consistency is Thompson’s forte, his last few albums have been some of his strongest: 2013’s Electric and 2015’s Still were excellent, but 2018’s 13 Rivers and his upcoming album, Ship To Shore, are even better.” The Financial Times called the album “probably Thompson’s strongest album of this century,” Folk Alley said “Ship to Shore showcases Thompson at his best,” while Bandcamp called it “another great album from someone who’s already made more than his share.”
The influential singer-songwriter and virtuosic guitarist has been on a singular musical journey for over a half century, from his days in the ‘60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal ‘70s duo work with Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, deeply emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since. The time taken between 13 Rivers and Ship To Shore is something like an eternity for the prolific artist, but once Thompson began writing, new songs came in a burst of inspiration. To craft the album, he retreated to Woodstock, New York, where he was joined by his longtime band — guitarist Bobby Eichorn, bassist Taras Prodaniuk, and drummer Michael Jerome — along with harmony vocalist Zara Phillips, fiddle player David Mansfield, and engineer Chris Bittner. The team worked quickly — roughly a week to track, vocals included.
Ship To Shore pulls from various styles, genres and eras, but remains unmistakably Richard Thompson. “I liked the idea of having a strong base to work from and reaching out from there,” he says. “And I think of my base as being British traditional music, but there’s also Scottish music, there’s Irish music. There’s jazz and country and classical. As far as I’m concerned, once you establish your base, you can reach out anywhere. It’ll still be you ringing through, wherever you decide to go musically.”
Richard Thompson is currently supporting Ship to Shore on a UK tour that features a performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in London on June 8. He has also announced a two night stand at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY on July 12 and 13 as well as a performance at The Town Hall in New York City on October 18. Please see tour dates, with more to be announced, below.
Richard Thompson’s musical influence cannot be overstated. Having co-founded the groundbreaking group Fairport Convention as a teenager in the ‘60s, he and his bandmates invented the distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. He left the group by the age of 21 which was followed by a decade long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, to over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist. In 2011, Thompson received an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. The Los Angeles Times called him “the finest rock songwriter after Dylan and the best electric guitarist since Hendrix” and Rolling Stone has named him one of the Top 100 Guitarists of All Time. He has received lifetime achievement awards for songwriting from the BBC Radio 2 Awards, the Americana Music Association, and was awarded the prestigious Ivor Novello Award. His song “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923.” A wide range of musicians have recorded Thompson’s songs including Robert Plant, Elvis Costello, R.E.M., Sleater-Kinney, Del McCoury, Bonnie Raitt, Tom Jones, David Byrne, Don Henley, Los Lobos, and many more. His massive body of work includes many Grammy nominated albums as well as numerous soundtracks, including Werner Herzog’s Grizzly Man and 2019’s The Cold Blue.
Thompson’s genre defying mastery of both acoustic and electric guitar along with engaging energy and onstage wit continue to earn him new fans and a place as one of the most distinctive virtuosos and writers in Folk Rock history.
Richard Thompson’s Ship To Shore is available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited “Deep Blue” color vinyl edition of 500 with a bonus orange flexi disc featuring a demo of the song “Trust” is available via Rough Trade. An autographed compact disc edition and a limited Orange & Yellow Marble color vinyl edition featuring a 5x7 archival print autographed by Richard Thompson is available NOW via Independent Retailers and NEW WEST RECORDS.
Richard Thompson Ship To Shore Track List:
1. Freeze
2. The Fear Never Leaves You
3. Singapore Sadie
4. Trust
5. The Day That I Give In
6. The Old Pack Mule
7. Turnstile Casanova
8. Lost In The Crowd
9. Maybe
10. Life’s A Bloody Show
11. What’s Left To Lose
12. We Roll
Richard Thompson On Tour:
05/31/24 - Manchester, UK - Aviva Studios at Manchester Factory International#
06/01/24 - Stoke-on-Trent, UK - Victoria Hall #
06/03/24 - Birmingham, UK - Symphony Hall #
06/04/24 - Cardiff, UK - New Theatre #
06/05/24 - Portsmouth, UK - Guildhall #
06/06/24 - Brighton and Hove, UK - Dome Concert Hall #
06/08/24 - London, UK - Royal Albert Hall #
07/12/24 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios +
07/13/24 – Woodstock, NY – Levon Helm Studios +
07/17/24 – Earlville, NY – Earlville Opera House *
07/20/24 - 07/21/24 – Guelph, ONT – Hillside Festival*
07/23/24 – Nelsonville, OH – Stuart Opera House *
07/24/24 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage *
07/26/24 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Café *
7/27/24 – Harrisburg, PA – Whitaker Center *
07/28/24 - Cape May, NJ - Cape May Convention Hall *
10/18/24 - New York, NY - The Town Hall #
08/23/25 - 08/30/25 - Venice, Italy - Harmony Voyages- Gems of the Adriatic Cruise
* Solo Show
# Full Band
+ RT & Friends
