Richard Thompson will release his 20th studio album, Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, on October 16th via New West Records. The 12-track set was produced by Thompson and James Frazee and recorded in Weehawken, New Jersey. It follows his previous offering Ship to Shore, which Uncut Magazine named one of the “Best Albums of 2024.”
The singer-songwriter and guitarist has been on a musical journey for over half a century, from his days in the ‘60s as a pioneer of British folk rock with Fairport Convention, to his seminal ‘70s duo work with his ex-wife Linda Thompson, to the exploratory, emotional music of the solo career that has been his primary concern ever since. As he finished recording the piece, Thompson found that the collection of disparate songs and desperate characters formed an album. He says, “You look over the body of songs you’ve written and ask yourself, Which ones are kindred spirits? You look for commonality among the songs, and it’s also a joy when you realize that certain songs seem to be brothers and sisters..”
The first single, Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking, concerns a hardscrabble tale of folks hustling in London—a “carousel queen” overwhelmed by the big city, a soldier quoting Shakespeare, “a Kings Road Hippie,” and a “Sauchiehall thug.”
Thompson wrote and demoed songs for his backing band, which includes Taras Prodaniuk on bass, Michael Jerome on drums, David Mansfield on guitar and fiddle, and his wife Zara Phillips on backing vocals. His home recordings were very specific to the new album. “It’s so much fun to mess around at home and disappear down in the basement for hours at a time. I even bought myself a drum kit. So, I was able to present more complete demos to the band. You could say there’s much more of my identity being transferred to the final product.” As always, he left room for the band to add their own ideas, but admits Hippies, Thugs and Heroes is “less them and more me. But I’m never strict about what I want to hear on a record. I’m always interested to see what they come up with, and I always want to see where a song takes me.” Thompson and the band convened at Hobosound Studio in Weehawken, New Jersey, located a stone’s throw from his own home. “I think this is why this album came together so quickly. We could just steam through at high speed and not labour over everything.” The small crew recorded live with a minimum of takes—sometimes as few as two, but rarely more than four.
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 their distinctive strain of British Folk Rock. Thompson left the group by the age of 21 and embarked upon a decade-long musical partnership with his then-wife Linda, followed by over 30 years as a highly successful solo artist. In 2011, Thompson received an OBE for services to music.
The album will be available across digital platforms, compact disc, and standard black vinyl. A limited Clear with Black Splatter colour vinyl edition with an autographed insert, as well as a limited compact disc edition autographed by Thompson, will be available at Independent Retailers. A limited pink marbled colour vinyl edition, including a bonus flexi-disc featuring a demo recording of Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking, and an autographed insert, will be available via Rough Trade. A limited yellow with black splatter color vinyl edition, including an autographed insert as well as a limited & autographed compact disc edition, is available for pre-order here. Oh and he’s on tour too – tickets available here.
“Hippies, Thugs and Heroes” Track Listing:
1. Sorcerer’s Apprentice
2. Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking
3. Pauper’s Grave
4. Unsung Hero
5. Make Believe You Don’t Know Me
6. She Burns It All
7. Everybody’s Stealing
8. The Soul In Me
9. Pipe Dreams
10. The Big Smoke
11. Stringer
12. Siren
Richard Thompson 2026 Tour Dates:
August 2 – Cambridge Folk Festival 2026 – Cambridge, United Kingdom
August 14 – Fairport Cropredy Convention 2026 – Banbury, United Kingdom
August 21 – St George’s Church Hall – Beckenham, United Kingdom
August 22 – FolkEast 2026 -Beccles, United Kingdom
August 23 – Beautiful Days 2026 – Ottery St Mary, United Kingdom
September 4 – Buxton Opera House – Buxton, United Kingdom
September 10 – Lighthouse Poole, United Kingdom
September 11 – Subscription Rooms, Stroud, United Kingdom
September 12 – Bromyard Folk Festival 2026 Bromyard, United Kingdom
September 13 – Wiltshire Music Centre -Bradford-on-Avon, United Kingdom
Americana UK has ongoing running costs. If you have enjoyed reading this post, please consider supporting us for £2.99 a month.
