Billy Bragg announces new album, shares “I Will Be Your Shield”

Billy Bragg will release his 10th studio album, The Million Things That Never Happened, on October 8. The album was produced by The Magic Numbers' Romeo Stodart and Dave Izumi, and Billy's son, Jack Valero, co-wrote closing track "Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained."

The first single off the album is "I Will Be Your Shield," which Billy says is "the heart and soul of the album," adding, "I’ve come to the conclusion that empathy is the currency of music – that our job as songwriters is to help people come to terms with their feelings by offering them examples of how others may have dealt with a situation similar to that in which listeners find themselves. After what we’ve all been through, the idea of being a shield, physically, emotionally, psychologically, really resonates.”

You can listen to "I Will Be Your Shield," and watch a trailer for the album, below.

Leading up to the album's release Billy will play a livestream event, ‘Billy Bragg On…’, that will feature the first live performances of many songs from the the album, plus a few Bragg classics from the last four decades. His band includes Romeo Stodart and sister Michele Stodart, Billy's son, Jack, as well as drummer Darren Beckett and steel guitarist and violinist Nick Pynn, who all played on the album. That airs September 9 on streaming platform Stabal. You can watch the performance of "I Will Be Your Shield" from it below.

The Million Things That Never Happened tracklist:
1. Should Have Seen It Coming
2. Mid-Century Modern
3. Lonesome Ocean
4. Good Days And Bad Days
5. Freedom Doesn’t Come For Free
6. Reflections On The Mirth Of Creativity
7. The Million Things That Never Happened
8. The Buck Doesn’t Stop Here No More
9. I Believe In You
10. Pass It On
11. I Will Be Your Shield
12. Ten Mysterious Photos That Can’t Be Explained