Wilko Johnson announces first album of new material in 30 years

The former Dr Feelgood guitarist, who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and given just months to live in 2012, says his first collection of new self-penned material in 30 years is “the album I never thought I’d get to write”.

Featuring 12 new compositions, ‘Blow Your Mind’ is produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers) who also helmed Wilko’s 2013 collaborative album with Roger Daltrey ‘Going Back Home’.

Also featuring Norman Watt Roy on bass and Dylan Howe on drums, the album is released on Friday 15th June via Chess Records.

“Man, there’s nothing like being told you’re dying to make you feel alive”, says Wilko. “It’s tricky when you get to 70 years old, because what am I supposed to be singing? ‘I love you, baby, but you done me wrong?’ Come on! That’s kind of a problem. But I never thought that I’d be the sort of person to write songs about different sorts of real life experiences until I got sick”.

He added: “I didn’t know if I’d ever get back into the studio. One of those songs, that’s a reflection of that time, about sitting around the house at night knowing that death’s coming; we’ve recorded it, and it’ll be on the album. It’s actually quite a cheerful one, too!”

Dave Eringa says: “I never expected to be making another Wilko Johnson album after ‘Going Back Home’ but what a pleasure and a privilege it was to be able to capture Wilko’s first new songs for 30 years! He is one of music’s true gentleman - literate, intelligent, and articulate but still rock n roll as f***!”

Wilko was declared cancer free in October 2014 after undergoing 11-hour surgery to remove a 3kg tumour affecting his pancreas, spleen, stomach and small and large intestines.

The ‘Blow Your Mind’ track-listing is as follows:

1. Beauty
2. Blow Your Mind
3. Marijuana
4. Tell Me One More Thing
5. That’s The Way I Love You
6. Low Down
7. Take It Easy
8. I Love The Way You Do
9. It Don’t Have To Give You The Blues
10. Lament
11. Say Goodbye
12. Slamming