The Slackers Announce “Kill You” + Fall Tour Dates
New York City reggae legends The Slackers have announced a new 12” single to be released this fall. The single features “Kill You,” an unreleased track from the Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya sessions, and a dub version of “Statehouse.”
“Kill You” was still being worked on when Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya was released and that gave it a moment to stand on its own. It reflects our current contentious climate over gun rights, insurrection, threats of a new civil war, and the epidemic of gun violence. Frontman Vic Ruggiero’s lyrical insight for the song comes from his encounters with firearms in public over the last few years. Factor in a conversation with longtime friend and musical collaborator Rocksteypood, and “Kill You” is a 7 minute track that cuts deep into divisive issues in America.
Ruggiero’s unease comes from a portion of America’s obsession with guns and what could come next. “I started thinking about a lot of things… How does a civil war start? How come it’s OK for people to shoot each other in certain situations and others it’s not? I even took a gun safety class in Phoenix that was less about gun safety and more about who you can shoot in what situation and get away with it.”
“Kill You” Tracklist:
Side A: 1. Kill You
Side B: 1. Statehouse (Dub Version)
“Kill You” was mixed by Victor Rice, an NYC ska luminary currently residing in Brazil, whose many accolades include two Latin Grammys and frequent collaborations with The Slackers throughout their career, including producing the band’s debut full-length, 1996’s Better Late Than Never.
The B Side, “Statehouse,” is a commentary on the struggle for justice in South Carolina seen through the campaign to take down the Confederate flag that flew outside its Statehouse from 1961 – 2015. “Statehouse” began as a reply to “Wrongful Suspicion” which Ruggiero had written back in 1997 with Rancid’s Tim Armstrong. The Dub version of “Statehouse” on this vinyl is a further reworking of the track by Emch, DJ at Subatomic Sound System, and long time collaborator with Lee Perry. Emch deconstructed the tune bringing forward the hand drumming of legendary Percussionist Larry McDonald, a mutual friend and longtime collaborator of the Slackers, Emch, and Lee Perry.
Ruggiero noted, ”I had finished up ‘Kill You’ with Victor Rice, and then I heard Emch’s dub mix of ‘Statehouse,’ and I thought ‘Wow! It would be cool to put them on a 7” together conceptually.’ To say that the tension in America was NOT one-sided (pun intended?), all kinda seemed to make sense.” With that, Ruggiero re-recorded some of his vocals for “Statehouse” in order to fit the dub version better and everything fell perfectly in place.
Additionally, the band released a video yesterday for the single “Shameboy” which comes from the album Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya.
The Slackers Fall 2023 US Tour Dates:
10/21/23: Hamden, CT – Space Ballroom
11/08/23: Miami, FL – Flogging Molly’s Salty Dog Cruise 2023
11/14/23: West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable Street
11/17/23: Chicago, IL – Reggie’s
11/18/23: Chicago, IL – Reggie’s
11/29/23: Vancouver, WA – Rickshaw
w/ Voodoo Glow Skulls, Buster Shuffle, Los Mal Hablados:
11/30/23: Seattle, WA – Crocodile
12/1/23: Portland, OR – Dantes
12/2/23: Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone
12/3/23: Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley
12/5/23: Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music
12/6/23: Denver, CO – Oriental Theater
12/8/23: Los Angeles, CA – 1720
12/9/23: Garden Grove, CA – Garden Grove amp
12/10/23: San Diego, CA – House of Blues
w/ Mustard Plug, Stop the Presses, The Freecoasters:
12/14/23: Bensalem, PA – Broken Goblet
12/15/23: Washington DC – Black Cat
12/16/23: Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl
12/17/23: Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
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