





15th June 2024 – putting the folk into folk/punk.






15th June 2024 – putting the folk into folk/punk.
Well, to Brighton Road studios to start work on the next album with the amazingly talented Ali Gavan who recorded and mixed all the songs on Trickle Down Town.
The reality for bands like us is that recording studio time is limited by finance and, well, time, and generally it’s weekend days borrowed from family and other commitments and fitted in around the football and folk club calendars that see us in the studio doing our best to get it right first time, but there’s plans for a new album late this year or early 2025 plus a couple of singles and, if our plans pay off, a very special release for next season so, as ever, watch this space.
Next stop for us is back to Bally Studios to get match fit for Bearded Theory and Strummercamp. Maybe we’ll see you at one or both of those.

Genuinely written one Boxing Day out of anger and frustration waiting for the hit reports to come in.
As the election approaches, a reminder: there may be no manifesto pledge to repeal the Hunting Act but Boris Johnson is pro-hunt. He repeatedly voted against the ban and even went so far as to suggest hunting urban foxes on horseback. “This will cause massive unpopularity but I don’t care” he quipped. Oh, what a laugh.
Of course Farage is too, it speaks of the imaginary England that he wants to return to, and he supports the violent and bloodthirsty Old Surrey, Burstow and West Kent hunt.[1] His decision not to stand in the election is both cowardly and cute, as it frees him up to travel the country campaigning with Brexit Party candidates with no pressure to succeed in his own constituency.
I’m acutely aware that Protest For Dummies, the album that features The Side of the Fox, is approaching it’s third birthday, and that the time, space, finance and recording logistics for the fourth Protest Family studio album are still matters for the future, so, taking them into my own hands, I will attempt to record the band myself over the next few weeks, having learned some valuable lessons in the process of creating solo efforts Snowflake and Fake News From Nowhere.
Fox, due a refresh with drums, is on the list, with another five songs currently in guide track form. Next step is Andi on the kit and then we’ll see.
Wish us luck, and (watch this space).
Steve
