- Music
- 20 Sep 18
This will be the ninth studio album from the Dire Strait's frontman.
Down the Road Wherever will feature 14 new songs covering a range of subjects including his early days in Deptford with the Dire Straits, a stray football fan lost in a strange town, the compulsion of a musician hitching home through the snow, and a man out of time in his local greasy spoon. Mark has a poet’s eye for telling details that infuse his songs and this new album is sure to be no exception.
Recorded at British Grove Studios in London, Down The Road Wherever was produced by Knopfler and Guy Fletcher. The band features Mark Knopfler on guitars, Jim Cox and Guy Fletcher on keyboards, Nigel Hitchcock on saxophone along with backing vocals by singers such as, Imelda May, Kris Drever and Lance Ellington. All songs are written by Mark Knopfler apart from ‘Just A Boy Away From Home’ where he shares the credits with Rodgers and Hammerstein.
New track 'Good On You Son', out now, showcases the adaptability of his guitar work to keep things fresh yet possesses a smooth swagger reminiscent of his earlier work.
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Speaking of the album's inspiration Knopfler said "Down The Road Wherever is a line from 'One Song At A Time.' I remember my pal Chet Atkins once saying that he picked his way out of poverty one song at a time, and it just stuck in my mind. You get to an age where you’ve written quite a few songs. But Down The Road Wherever seems to be appropriate for me just because it's what I've always done. I've always tried to make a record and also to keep my own geography happening in the songs.”
Down the Road Wherever will be released on 16 November 2018, with new song 'Good on You Son' available now.