Mick: You guys are gearing up for the tour, what are you doing to get ready right now?
Josh: We just finished up the record so now we’ve got a bit of down time, doing some charity stuff trying to keep busy. Just keeping on keeping on you know?
Mick: What kind of charity work are you guys doing?
Josh: Tonight I’m hosting an event for the Claddagh Fund (http://www.claddaghfund.org/cf/ ) which contributes to three major charities, people with addictions, veterans and children’s hospitals. Tonight it’s going to benefit friends of Wounded Warrior, helping the service people coming back from the war, dealing with PTSD and other issues. It’s a good cause and we’re glad to be a part of it helping out our troops.
Mick: I know you’re personally a staunch supporter of troops around the world. Has the band ever had a chance to go overseas and do some sort of USO show?
Josh: We haven’t yet, there’s just so much red tape that goes along with it, it’s hard for a band our size to get over there, get security clearance, and everything else that it takes. We’ve been trying to do it for years, it would be great for us to do it, but unfortunately it just hasn’t worked out for us.
Mick: Back to the new album, are there any songs on it that really stand out that you really dig?
Josh: There’s a couple, a song called Rose Tattoo that I think is such a great song, an introverted soul searching type song. I just really dig it, but really the whole album is just amazing to me, I’m really proud of it as are the rest of the guys. We just try to make the best records we can and hopefully the fans will enjoy it too. We try to keep it from the heart and we’re really looking forward to getting back on the road to play our hearts out.
Mick: Are there any spots on this tour that you are looking forward to returning to?
Josh: For us, it’s just cool to get back to any spot. We have friends in every city and love the fact that we know we’re gonna see some friendly smiling faces everywhere we go, hanging out. They’re all special in their own little way.
Mick: What’s the weirdest interview question you’ve been asked?
Josh: I don’t know, I get some weird ones. Dudes ask me if I wear anything under my kilt, and that kind of weirds me out a little bit. People seem to be obsessed with what’s going on under my kilt, I don’t understand the fascination but whatever floats your boat.
Mick: I’ve read the band is sometimes labeled as Boston’s fifth sports team. With all the championship wins in recent history the band has been asked to be a part of the celebrations, how’s that feel for you?
Josh: In ‘04 we were lucky enough to be part of the superstition of the 89 year curse and help break that with Tessie. Same thing in ‘07 we played at the NHL Winter Classic and beat Philadelphia. We wrote a song about the Bruins and two years ago they won a Stanley Cup. Its kind of funny, the more superstitions and lore gets made about the band and sports connections the more even we seem to buy into it. “Oh yeah, we helped break that curse!” But we really don’t have shit to do with it, it’s all the players but we hear it so much we start to believe it. Its crazy but obviously it’s a huge honor for us to be affiliated and attached in Boston. We’re always so happy for the guys that win when they do, being attached to that, the legends and mythos of the different squads around town, it’s amazing, it’s really a great thing.
Mick: So what bands are you digging on these days? Anything that really stands out to you?
Josh: I go through phases and moods depending upon the mood I’m in. I’ve been listening to a lot of Frank Turner, The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show just put out a new record, still love listening to Strung Out and Slayer. One of my good friends Tony Sly of the band No Use For A Name just passed away so I’ve been listening to a lot of them. A lot just depends on the mood.
Mick: You’re an avid reader of books, especially military books. What are you reading this week?
Josh: This week I picked up a book on Normandy called D-Day: The Battle for Normandy. It’s written by a man named Anthony Beevor and it’s a minute to minute kind of opinionated dialect of different guys from all branches and their experience. I also just finished Chris Kyle’s book American Sniper, the highest US decorated navy Seal and sniper who had the most confirmed kills in American history. He’s a really nice guy, a great patriot, very humble and down to earth, and his book was really good. That was the last one I finished.
Mick: How’s it been for you getting acclimated to living in Boston after moving there five years ago? Any spots in or outside the city you like to visit to relax, chill, just get away?
Josh: I actually don’t really leave Dorchester too much. I just hang out and have some drinks at a couple local places around the neighborhood. When I’m home I just like to be home with my wife and my boy. I got a little bar in my house called the Pipe & Whistle so we just host barbeques and little back yard parties. We got a nice little getaway cabin up in Maine that we went up to a couple weeks ago, put our toes in the sand and just kind of hung out. But mostly me and my boy just getting reacquainted and hanging out and having good times.
Mick: So you get your son playing the pipes yet? He’s what, three or four years old now?
Josh: It will be a snowballs day in hell before I get my son on the bagpipes. I’m not going through what my mother went through. No way. He can be a drummer or something.
Mick: What’s your favorite whiskey when you guys are out on the road?
Josh: Well I drink Lagavulin 16 year single malt, really peaty, really smoky and if I can’t get that I drink Laphroaig. But really I’m mostly a beer drinker and drink the High Life since they support the troops.
Mick: Nice. Hey thanks for your time, I really appreciate it. We’re looking forward to the show here in Detroit. I’ll be shooting pics for Motor City Blog so let’s grab a drink at the show.
Josh: All right man, I look forward to it!
Catch the Dropkick Murphy's at the following dates on the “Halfway To St. Patrick’s Day Tour”:
Fri 9/14 – Buffalo, NY @ Outer Harbor (w/ Snapcase) – Buy Tickets
Sat 9/15 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest – Buy Tickets
Sun 9/16 – Dayton, OH @ WXEG XFest 2012 – Buy Tickets
Tue 9/18 – Detroit, MI @ Fillmore – Buy Tickets
Wed 9/19 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE – Buy Tickets
Thur 9/20 – Utica, NY @ Saranac Brewery – Buy Tickets
Fri 9/21 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion – Buy Tickets
Mon 10/29 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room – Buy Tickets
Wed 10/31 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/01 – Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/02 – Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/03 – Fargo, ND @ The Venue – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/05 – Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/06 – Missoula, MT @ The Wilma – Buy Tickets
Wed 11/07 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/09 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/11 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theater – Buy Tickets
Mon 11/12 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory – Buy Tickets
Tue 11/13 – Flagstaff, AZ @ The Orpheum Theater – Buy Tickets
Thu 11/15 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre – Buy Tickets
Fri 11/16 – Urbana, IL @ Canopy Club (18+ show) – Buy Tickets
Sat 11/17 – Hamilton, ON @ Hamilton Convention Center – Buy Tickets
Sun 11/18 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis – Buy Tickets