Fishbone officially announce Fat Mike-produced EP, share “Estranged Fruit”
Fishbone have finally announced their long-teased, Fat Mike-produced EP, which--like their classic 1985 debut EP--is self-titled. It comes out May 26 via Fat Mike's new label Bottles to the Ground. The EP is their first new release in nearly a decade, and it features original members Angelo Moore, Norwood Fisher, Dirty Walt, and Chris Dowd, the last of whom hasn't appeared on a Fishbone record since 1993. The lineup is rounded out by longtime Fishbone drummer John Steward (who rejoined the band in 2021 when original drummer Philip "Fish" Fisher left again) and new guitarist Mark Phillips.
Fat Mike says, "Fishbone is the one band I’ve always wanted to produce ever since NOFX toured with them in 1992. When I got the chance two years ago….. I fucking gave it everything I got! I fucking love this band so much as friends and musicians, but I may like this record even more! I thank all of them for the opportunity."
Fishbone also credit Fat Mike with steering the thematic direction of the EP towards something that addresses the current state of the world. "I know he is conscious of the need for Fishbone to make those kinds of statements," says Norwood. "[We] handed over the song selection to Fat Mike. It was an experiment. We presented him with what we thought were our best songs, and he picked 'em all. We didn't do a whole lot of discussing and just went with it."
The EP includes recent single "All We Have Is Now," and they've just released "Estranged Fruit," a collaboration with NOFX based on Billie Holiday's classic protest song "Strange Fruit" that Fishbone debuted on a livestream in 2020. "'Estranged Fruit’ is a timeless composition merging the past and present embodied by the irony of us repeating what should be in the rear view mirror of a so called evolved society that still has far to go," says Chris Dowd. Listen below.
Fishbone also play Punk Rock Bowling and they're opening part of Les Claypool's Frog Brigade tour. All dates are listed below.
Related: listen to our new podcast episode with Fat Mike.
Fishbone -- 2023 Tour Dates
5/16 - South Shore Room at Harrah's Lake Tahoe - Stateline, NV +
5/17 - South Shore Room at Harrah's Lake Tahoe - Stateline, NV +
5/18 - Bluenote Summer Sessions - Napa, CA +
5/20 - Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium - Santa Cruz, CA +
5/21 - The Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA +
5/23 - Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre - Salt Lake City, UT +
5/24 - The Mission Ballroom - Denver, CO +
5/27 - Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival - Las Vegas, NV
5/28 - Punk Rock Bowling Music Festival - Las Vegas, NV (With Son Rompe Pera and HR)
6/14 - Lillie Zenith - Lille, FR (with Sum 41)
6/15 - Hellfest - Clisson, FR
6/17 - Copenhell - Copenhagen, DK
+ - support for Les Claypool’s Flying Frog Brigade