{"id":309573,"date":"2026-02-25T14:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/309573\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T14:08:09","slug":"kneecap-capture-revolutionary-times-on-electric-new-single-smugglers-scholars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/309573\/","title":{"rendered":"Kneecap capture “revolutionary times” on electric new single ‘Smugglers & Scholars’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kneecap<\/a> have shared their electric new single \u2018Smugglers & Scholars\u2019, the latest track from their upcoming album \u2018FENIAN\u2019<\/a> \u2013 check it out here.<\/p>\n

Read More:\u00a0Kneecap on the cover \u2013 giving peace, protest and partying a chance<\/a><\/p>\n

The single, which premiered tonight (February 24) on Zane Lowe<\/a>\u2019s Apple Music 1<\/a> show, is named for a play on the epithet Land of Saints and Scholars, often given to Ireland.<\/p>\n

It takes influence from Detroit hip-hop as the trio look back and reminisce over the island\u2019s history. With the sound of sirens permeating and a thick, low-end bass riff anchoring the track, it\u2019s an intense, exhilarating listen.<\/p>\n

\u201cYa think it\u2019s all poetry and clovers, when it\u2019s raincoats and police Land Rovers \/ Salt of the earth, looking over their shoulder, someone shot in turn, chopper hovering over,\u201d the lyrics run. Listen to the track here:<\/p>\n

Discussing the track, Kneecap described it as \u201ca track that\u2019s reminiscing on revolutionary times in Ireland, driven by a hopefulness, when the working class, academics and good people everywhere united and took action in search of a better future.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group announced \u2018FENIAN\u2019, their third album, last month. It\u2019s set to arrive via Heavenly Recordings on April 24 and is available to pre-order here<\/a> on CD, cassette, DL, black vinyl, tri-colour splatter vinyl, and more.<\/p>\n

It follows their 2024 album \u2018Fine Art<\/a>\u2019, and will feature 14 tracks including collaborations from Kae Tempest<\/a>, Radie Peat and Fawzi, and the lead single \u2018Liars Tale\u2019, which came out on January 28.<\/p>\n

\u2018FENIAN\u2019 comes following Mo Chara\u2019s ongoing terror case<\/a>, which is currently going through an appeal.<\/p>\n

The case against the rapper (real name Liam \u00d3g \u00d3 hAnnaidh) was dropped last September due to a technicality relating to the way in which it was brought about<\/a>. At the time, the Chief Magistrate told the court that the charge was \u201cunlawful\u201d and \u201cnull\u201d.<\/p>\n

It stems from an alleged incident where he reportedly displayed a Hezbollah flag during a live show in November 2024<\/a>, and shouted \u201cup Hamas, up Hezbollah\u201d. Both are listed as proscribed terrorist organisations by the UK government.<\/p>\n

In a statement announcing the record, the band said: \u201cThey tried to stop us by branding Kneecap \u2018terrorists\u2019, with cancellations, with statements from the Prime Minister himself<\/a>. We had all the motivation we needed\u2026this isn\u2019t a swift reaction, but a considered response to those that tried to silence us. And failed.<\/p>\n

\u201cMade with Dan Carey<\/a>, a producer we are honoured to have worked with. It\u2019s a more sinister sound\u2026because these are sinister times. But also defiant and triumphant.\u201d<\/p>\n

They added: \u201cInspired by, and proudly named \u2018Fenian\u2019, who were warriors in Irish folklore, and later a derogatory term for the Irish. Now we\u2019re using it to name everyone speaking truth to power.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 800 years of colonisation, they thought the Irish language would die, it didn\u2019t. Thanks to [social campaign group] Muintir na Gaeltachta, and all the Gaels who refused to let their culture and language be destroyed. And kneecap is much the same\u2026we haven\u2019t gone away. The Paddies are back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tracklisting for \u2018FENIAN\u2019 is:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018\u00c9ire go Deo\u2019
\u2018Smugglers & Scholars\u2019
\u2018Carnival\u2019
\u2018Palestine\u2019 (ft. Fawzi)
\u2018Liars Tale\u2019
\u2018FENIAN\u2019
\u2018Big Bad Mo\u2019
\u2018Headcase\u2019
\u2018An Ra\u2019
\u2018Cold At The Top\u2019
\u2018Occupied 6\u2019
\u2018Gael Phonics\u2019
\u2018Cocaine Hill\u2019 (ft. Radie Peat)
\u2018Irish Goodbye\u2019 (ft. Kae Tempest)<\/p>\n

Also coming up for the trio are a run of live dates, beginning with a series of out-stores across the UK towards the end of April. They\u2019re then set to play European festivals including Primavera Sound<\/a>, Open\u2019er<\/a>, Roskilde<\/a>, Reading & Leeds<\/a> and Boomtown<\/a> over the summer, while their biggest headline show to date is coming up at London\u2019s Crystal Palace Park<\/a> on June 27 \u2013 find tickets to their summer shows here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NME gave their huge OVO Arena Wembley show in September, which came a week before terror charges against Chara were thrown out, a glowing five-star review<\/a>, meanwhile, describing it as \u201ca Keir Starmer-baiting Wembley invasion\u201d.<\/p>\n

The review concluded: \u201cYou don\u2019t pull off a gig like that on controversy alone. You need bangers and you need a culture to fill this room. Kneecap have all that, and they\u2019re a fucking good laugh. There\u2019s no call for violence, there\u2019s nothing that should land someone in front of a judge, just solidarity and a rave against the dying of the light.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust 24 hours earlier in this same room, Together For Palestine put on all-star fundraiser for the cause<\/a>, the biggest of its kind. It\u2019s significant that gigs like this should happen at a time like now. The state may try to crush them, but Kneecap have a power of their own. As they spit on \u2018It\u2019s Been Ages\u2019: \u2018Controversy won\u2019t phase us, we hold all the cards and they\u2019re aces, try to protect your kids but they\u2019ll hear us.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kneecap have shared their electric new single \u2018Smugglers & Scholars\u2019, the latest track from their upcoming album \u2018FENIAN\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":309574,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[146,744,85,46,409,735],"class_list":["post-309573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-hip-hop","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-music","tag-rap"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309573","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=309573"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/309573\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/309574"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=309573"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=309573"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=309573"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}