Strawbs announce new album Settlement

Strawbs, shot exclusively for Prog, October 2017 — (Image credit: Will Ireland)

UK prog legends Strawbs have announced they will release their latest album, Settlement, through Cherry Red Records on February 26. The follow-up to 2017's The Ferryman's Curse has been produced by Blue Weaver who played with Strawbs and Bee Gees in their 1970s heydays. You can see the new album artwork and tracklisting below.

The recording was coordinated from Weaver’s studio in Germany, where he now lives. Strawbs are David Cousins, Dave Lambert, Chas Cronk, Dave Bainbridge, and Tony Fernandez who last played together at Strawbs 50th Anniversary Weekend in Lakewood, New Jersey in April 2019.

“Settlement is something extraordinary," says Strawbs mainman Dave Cousins. "I can’t think of another band who can go from metal grunge to the lilt of an Irish ghost story - or from a song in 6/8 time to singing in 4/4 over a 5/4 backbeat - in half an hour.

“The lyrics reflect the times we have been living through: ‘Once we went dancing through quicksilver days’, or ‘What the autocrats are selling you is Sturm und Drang’, or ‘All bear witness, come together, we are everyone’. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Guests on Settlement include John Ford, another former member of Strawbs, who lives in New York, singer Cathryn Craig and bass player Schalk Joubert, with whom David Cousins performed in South Africa at the beginning of the year.

“Strawbs dusted off their instruments and set up the necessary technology to make it happen - ranging from state-of-the-art recording equipment to an ironing board," adds Weaver. "It is unprecedented that a recording of this quality could be made without a single face to face meeting. There comes a time when every Settlement is due!”

Settlement will be available as CVD and 180g vinyl.

Pre-order Settlement CD.

Pre-order Settlement vinyl.

Strawbs: Settlement
1. Settlement
2. Strange Times
3. Judgement Day
4. Each Manner of Man
5. The Visit
6. Flying Free
7. Quicksilver Days
8. We Are Everyone
9. Chorale
10. Champion Jack
11. Better Days12. Liberty

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.