DT: SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

ALTERNATIVE FOLK SINGER-SONGWRITER & GUITARIST
JESSE AHERN
REVEALS MUSIC VIDEO FOR SINGLE
“THE OLDER I GET (Feat. KEN CASEY of DROPKICK MURPHYS & JAIME WYATT)”
FROM SEPTEMBER 15 ALBUM
‘ROOTS ROCK REBEL’
VIA DROPKICK MURPHYS’
DUMMY LUCK MUSIC RECORD LABEL / [PIAS]

WATCH HERE

BOSTON, MA NATIVE TO JOIN
DROPKICK MURPHYS ON U.S. TOUR THIS FALL
ALONGSIDE THE INTERRUPTERS
SEP. 27 – OCT. 29

ROOTS ROCK REBEL Cover Artwork

Boston-bred singer-songwriter and guitarist JESSE AHERN’s new album, ROOTS ROCK REBEL, was released Friday, September 15, and marks his debut release via Dropkick Murphys’ Dummy Luck Music / [PIAS] record label. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Gaslight Anthem), ROOTS ROCK REBEL is an East Coast mosaic of gritty rock ‘n’ roll and roots inspiration with Americana-style storytelling told in the idiom of a street performer. The 10-track album “creates a meaningful call to action in the tradition of great rambling American buskers,” as proclaimed by SPIN who praised its debut single “Pray” as “a foot-stomping, modern-gospel anthem.” Stream/download ROOTS ROCK REBEL now, as well as pre-order a copy of the album on CD and vinyl (due October 20) at www.jesseahern.com.

JESSE has shared a new music video for the humbling single “The Older I Get” which features guest musicians Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys and country singer-songwriter Jaime Wyatt. The video was directed by Mike Rivkees. Watch “The Older I Get (feat. Ken Casey of Dropkick Murphys and Jaime Wyatt)” music video streaming below or via YouTube HERE.

“‘The Older I Get’ was almost a throwaway song,” says JESSE. “I had been playing an earlier version of it while on tour in 2022, but something was missing. I brought the song to [producer] Ted Hutt, and he helped me make it the singalong it is now. While on the road with Jaime, she had asked if she could sing it with me onstage and it was a hit, so featuring her was a no-brainer. I felt the last verse was perfect for Ken and am honored that he was up for the task.”

“Everybody’s out there trying to be something they are not, trying to sell an image and a product. Selling their soul for a like or a follow,” CASEY states. “Jesse is the polar opposite. His music, his personality, his core brings me back to the days when none of that mattered. Simpler times when what you saw is what you got. PURE. And this song is Jesse at his best.”

“I met Jesse on tour, we were both opening for Dropkick Murphys and the first song that made me run to the side stage to hear better was ‘The Older I Get,’” shares WYATT. “I instantly started singing a harmony.  I was drawn to the humility and wisdom of the lyrics in that song. The verses are dreamy and universal. Jesse Ahern is a really special dude, which makes him such an insightful writer. He’s lived to tell a lot of amazing stories and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with his music, like I did.”

JESSE will be seen performing the music from ROOTS ROCK REBEL including previous singles “Pray” and the pro-labor and unionization anthem “Back Against The Wall” as he joins longtime touring partners and friends DROPKICK MURPHYS on their headlining U.S. tour this fall alongside The Interrupters. Catch JESSE at one of the tour’s following stops:

9/27 – Bangor, ME @ Maine Savings Amphitheater
9/28 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
9/29 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
9/30 – Syracuse, NY @ Upstate Medical University Arena @ Oncenter
10/01 – Charlottesville, VA @ Ting Pavilion
10/03 – North Little Rock, AR @ The Theater @ Simmons Bank Arena
10/04 – Wichita, KS @ WAVE
10/05 – Omaha, NE @ The Astro
10/06 – Springfield, MO @ Shrine Mosque
10/07 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
10/08 – San Antonio, TX @ Boeing Center at Tech Port
10/10 – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel ABQ
10/11 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Broadmoor World Arena
10/12 – Rapid City, SD @ Summit Arena
10/13 – Brookings, SD @ Swiftel Center
10/14 – Fargo, ND @ Scheels Arena
10/15 – Mankato, MN @ Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center – Grand Hall
10/17 – Duluth, MN @ AMSOIL Arena
10/18 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ Alliant Energy PowerHouse
10/19 – Green Bay, WI @ EPIC Event Center
10/20 – Rockford, IL @ BMO Center
10/21 – Saginaw, MI @ The Dow Event Center
10/22 – Toledo, OH @ Huntington Center
10/24 – Buffalo, NY @ RiverWorks
10/26 – Johnstown, PA @ 1st Summit Arena
10/27 – Greensboro, NC @ White Oak Amphitheatre
10/28 – Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit
10/29 – Huntington, WV @ Mountain Health Arena

Find more on JESSE AHERN online at:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

###

For press inquiries, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

DT: JULY 27, 2023

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

JESSE AHERN
SIGNS TO DROPKICK MURPHYS’ DUMMY LUCK MUSIC RECORD LABEL / [PIAS]
FOR RELEASE OF SEPTEMBER 15 ALBUM
‘ROOTS ROCK REBEL’
PRODUCED BY GRAMMY AWARD-WINNER
TED HUTT (DKM, FLOGGING MOLLY, THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM)

SINGER-SONGWRITER
RELEASES MUSIC VIDEO FOR PRO-LABOR ANTHEM
“BACK AGAINST THE WALL”
IN SUPPORT OF CURRENT STRIKES

WATCH “BACK AGAINST THE WALL” VIDEO HERE

(Credit: Mike Rivkees)

Hailing from humble beginnings in Quincy, MA, singer-songwriter and guitarist JESSE AHERN seamlessly blends Americana, folk, roots and rock armed with a Gretsch guitar across his body, an anchor tattoo under his right eye, and tunes that hold high the clenched fists of the working class.  Having toured the world alongside acts including Dropkick Murphys, Rancid, Chuck Ragan, Frank Turner and Jaime Wyatt, JESSE appears onstage standing solo in front of a giant backdrop emblazoned with the words ‘ROOTS ROCK REBEL.’  True to his nature, JESSE has announced his upcoming album will be fittingly titled ROOTS ROCK REBEL—a slogan that embodies both his music and himself.  The album will mark JESSE’s debut release via Dropkick Murphys’ Dummy Luck Music / [PIAS] record label and is due September 15. Produced by Grammy Award-winner Ted Hutt (Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, The Gaslight Anthem), ROOTS ROCK REBEL consists of 10 tracks including the previously released lead single, “Pray.’

JESSE has today (July 27) shared a poignant music video for his second single, “Back Against The Wall,” an anti-corporation worker’s rights anthem, which fits timely with the current global labor strikes and unionization movements across several industries (Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, hotel workers, Starbucks, Amazon, UPS, etc). No stranger to getting his hands dirty on the job and the struggles of everyday working-class people, rather than “speak for them,” JESSE speaks as “one of them” with “Back Against The Wall.” The video follows the single’s late June release and can be seen streaming below or via YouTube HERE.

“I’m a middle-class townie from Quincy, MA,” JESSE exclaims. “For most of my life, I’ve either played music or had to work with my hands. I’ve definitely seen the ups and downs of the economy and the middle class fade away. I don’t define myself as a working-class musician, I define myself as someone who has empathy for anybody who’s working hard. When I was in my early twenties, you could have a job, a car, cover your place, and still go out on the weekend. If you weren’t a drunk or a drug addict, you’d even have a little money in your pocket. That’s not the way it goes anymore. Now there are people with two or three jobs who can’t pay their rent. To me, that’s a problem. You can’t solve it overnight, but you can sing about it.”

“‘Back Against The Wall’ hits home with me,” JESSE continues. “I have three kids, and all I ever think is, ‘Where the hell are they going to go? How are they going to ever buy a house or afford rent?’ It’s f*cking wild out there. This isn’t about a party or where you are on the political spectrum. I, myself, am very sick of it. I’m very glad to see people are starting to wake up though… but sometimes I wonder if it’s too late.”

JESSE will support ROOTS ROCK REBEL on the road joining longtime tourmates Dropkick Murphys on their fall U.S. tour alongside The Interrupters from September 27 to October 29. Find dates and tickets at https://dropkickmurphys.com/tour/.

“Back Against The Wall” Lyrics:

With your back against the wall, will you fight or will you fall?
Whoa
With nothing left to lose, will you run or light the fuse?
Whoa

The ones who have the money will always have the money
And the workers make it all go ‘round
You can always be replaced, or at least be displaced
When they gentrify your town
Fat cat Bureaucrats are setting the workers back
Doing nothing but filling their pockets
Shaking hands and kissing babies, no promises just maybes
While people give up what others died for

With your back against the wall, will you fight or will you fall?
Whoa
With nothing left to lose, will you run or light the fuse?
Whoa

Hey, Boomer you have it made, you took everything they gave
Your benefits and Medicaid
We should take it all away, make you work for less than minimum wage
For fucking it up for all the rest of us
Hey – c’mon
I’m a democrat, I’m no republican, I’m no libertarian, I’m no fool
I can’t take the ideology of grifters who bend all the rules
There’s no pie in the sky, the fight in me won’t die
If I make it out of here I’ll be surprised
So organize and fight, stand your ground and know your rights
It’s time for us to rise

With your back against the wall, will you fight or will you fall?
Whoa
With nothing left to lose, will you run or light the fuse?
Whoa

Hey boomer you have it made, you took everything they gave
Your benefits and Medicaid
We should take it all away, make you work for less than minimum wage
For fucking it up for all the rest of us
For fucking it up for all the rest of us

ROOTS ROCK REBEL Track Listing:
1. Pray
2. Daughter And Son
3. The Older I Get (feat Ken Casey And Jaime Wyatt)
4. I Drive A Truck
5. Bankrobber
6. Highway Of Life
7. Miss Information
8. Back Against The Wall
9. Straw Man
10. I Believe

Pre-order ROOTS ROCK REBEL via digital download, cd and vinyl now at www.jesseahern.com

Find JESSE AHERN online at:
Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

###

For press inquiries, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com