Richard Thompson announces 20th solo album Hippies, Thugs and Heroes

Richard Thompson has announced his 20th solo studio album, Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, due for release on October 16 via New West Records, according to KLOF Magazine. Thompson has also shared its lead single, 'Cocaine Walking, Booze Talking'.

Speaking about the record in a press statement, Thompson said he spent months developing the songs at home before bringing more complete demos into the studio.

"It's so much fun to mess around at home and disappear down into the basement for hours at a time. I even bought myself a drum kit. So I was able to present more complete demos to the band. You could say there's much more of my identity being transferred to the final product," he stated.

The album follows Thompson's 2024 release, Ship to Shore, continuing a career that stretches back to the late 1960s. Thompson co-founded the pioneering folk-rock outfit Fairport Convention in 1967 before leaving the band in 1971 to pursue a solo career.

Reflecting on the band's origins in a 2021 interview with Hot Press, Thompson said:

"We had a determination to be a bit different. We felt we wanted to play more than just blues or R&B. We could really be more original in the style of rock n' roll that we play, so why don't we play some of these old songs, these old ballads, and see what happens, because what you've got are these great old songs with incredibly powerful lyrics and really powerful ideas, and if you blend that with the power of amplified music, that should give you something really strong and interesting."

After releasing his debut solo album, Henry the Human Fly, in 1972, he recorded a string of acclaimed albums with former wife Linda Thompson, including I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight and Shoot Out the Lights. Since resuming his solo career in the early 1980s, Thompson has released more than 20 studio albums, cementing his reputation as one of Britain's most influential songwriters and guitarists.

Hippies, Thugs and Heroes is set for release on October 16 .