Perhaps the most controversial and fascinating musical act of the decade, Ireland’s Kneecap have become a political wrecking ball aimed right at the establishment. The British government have tried to charge their members as terrorists for their protests to the war in Gaza, countries including Canada and Hungary have banned them from traveling there, and yet the defiant hip hop trio only come back stronger with new single ‘Liars Tale’ arriving today, and new album ‘FENIAN’ now on the horizon.
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Kneecap were formed in Northern Ireland’s capital Belfast in 2017, with politics and protests the centrepiece of their aggressive hip hop sound. Their past albums are 2018’s ‘3CAG’ and 2024’s ‘Fine Art’, which landed at number 2 on the Irish Albums chart and number one on UK R&B Albums rating. Members Mo Chara, Móglai Bap and DJ Próvai, known for his iconic balaclava, rap about social matters on each riotous song, such as anti-British authority sentiment in the after-effects of The Troubles, issues affecting Irish culture, or preservation of their country’s language and values.
This has drawn the ire of media outlets and politicians since their inception. Their debut single ‘C.E.A.R.T.A’ was banned from Irish radio in 2017, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Member Christopher Stafford condemned their “Brits Out” chants in 2019, and in 2024 they had a run-in with now-Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch. They were awarded a grant of £14,250 by the Music Export Growth Scheme, which Badenoch, who was Business Secretary at the time rejected, claiming the money should not be awarded to “people that oppose the United Kingdom itself.” Following a discrimination case with the British government, they won the trial and donated the grant to two projects supporting both Protestant and Catholic youth in Northern Ireland.
Their notoriety peaked following two incidents where they supported the people of Palestine during the ongoing conflict with Israel. The first of which was a performance in London in November 2023, where the band were on the hook for comments including “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” and “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”. The second incident, involving Mo Chara waving a Hezbollah flag at a London show in 2024, led to the police charging him under the 2006 Terrorism Act, as supporting either Hamas or Hezbollah is illegal in the UK. The charges, called for by Prime Minister and former head of the Crown Prosecution Services Sir Keir Starmer, were dropped in September last year due to a missed deadline in proceedings.
This persecution has fueled the fire for the new era of Kneecap, with a post today revealing new album ‘FENIAN’ and the inspiration behind it. On the title, they say it is “Inspired by, and proudly named ‘Fenian’, who were warriors in Irish folklore, and later a derogatory term for the Irish”, alluding to its use by the English as a slur for Irish nationalism. In addressing the legal issues, the statement says “We had all the motivation we needed… This isn’t a swift reaction, but a considered response to those that tried to silence us. And failed.”
The music video for ‘Liars Tale’ contains foul language and graphic imagery.
Lead single ‘Liars Tale’ was announced earlier this week, making its debut on BBC Radio One this evening. The track is an incendiary rager, swinging between English and Irish in their signature style to launch a savage attack at British politics past and present. Its X-rated lyrics are packed with expletives and scathing barbs aimed at English states-people, while the accompanying music video revels in metaphors of the band incarcerated behind fences and an Irish warrior screaming battle cries.
The song presumably sets the tone for the album and indeed the future for Kneecap. They will not be stifled or silenced, and as they put it “the Paddies are back” and here to stay. ‘Fenian’ arrives on the 24th of April, released by Heavenly Records. Pre-orders are available in physical and digital formats, as well as pre-saving on streaming apps here.
