Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Murphys are an Irish American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1996. The lineup consists of co-lead vocalist Ken Casey, drummer Matt Kelly, co-lead vocalist Al Barr (on hiatus since 2022), rhythm and lead guitarist James Lynch, lead guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Tim Brennan, multi-instrumentalist and rhythm guitarist Jeff DaRosa, and bassist Kevin Rheault. Casey has been the band's only constant member since the band formed. The band is known for their loud, energetic live shows. The band was initially signed to independent punk label Hellcat Records; they released five albums for the label and built a reputation around New England and the East Coast through persistent touring. They expanded their schedule to include national and international tour dates, and began a tradition of yearly St. Patrick's Day week shows, held in and around Boston. The 2004 single "Tessie", an homage to a Boston Red Sox fanclub the Royal Rooters, became the band's first mainstream hit and one of their highest-charting singles to date. The band's final Hellcat release, 2005's The Warrior's Code, included the song "I'm Shipping Up to Boston". It was featured in the 2006 film The Departed and became the band's only platinum-selling single to date. In 2007, the band began releasing music through their own imprint label, Born & Bred, via Alternative Distribution Alliance. In 2007, The Meanest of Times made its debut at No. 20 on the Billboard charts, while 2011's Going Out in Style was an even bigger success, making its debut at No. 6 and giving the band their highest-charting album to date. The eighth studio album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, was released in 2013, making its debut at No. 9 on the Billboard charts and featured the single "The Season's Upon Us", a Christmas song which was one of the band's highest-charting singles, and the single "Rose Tattoo". The band's ninth album, 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory, was released in 2017; it debuted at number 8 on the Billboard charts and rose to number 2 on the charts. Their tenth album, Turn Up That Dial, was released in 2021. Their eleventh album, This Machine Still Kills Fascists, was released in 2022. Their twelfth album, Okemah Rising, was released in 2023. The two albums were the band's first since their 1998 debut to not feature Al Barr. The band's thirteenth album, For the People, was released in 2025 and features an appearance by Barr.