NYC ska/reggae legends The Slackers recently released their newest 12″ single, ‘What We Gonna Do Now? / Pick And Choose’ on Pirates Press Records.

Released to coincide with the forthcoming US presidential election, both songs touch on the socio-political landscape in which we find ourselves from a human perspective. Included with the single is a QR code with links to numerous Voter Resources & Know Your Rights organizations, with the band’s message being to use your vote conscientiously. Now the band has released the music video for ‘Pick And Choose’ animated by Phil Vanderyken, underscores that message, displaying in no uncertain terms the choice being put before US voters Nov 5. Phil has previously worked with the band on the clip for the similarly pointed ‘They Are Losing’. ‘Pick And Choose’ is a song whose message is both personal & political. It is about the power of words, and how sometimes they can fall short of their intent: words like “love” spoken to a partner, or words like “freedom” & “justice” in the political sphere. “We have a lot of unfinished work to do in our society” says songwriter Dave Hillyard. “Hopefully we can find the right words to use, and the right deeds to follow up on the promises in the words.” Both ‘What We Gonna Do Now? / Pick and Choose’ are featured on a 12” single with UV printed artwork by the band’s longtime in-house artist, Catt Gould, who designed the record so that as it spins, you will see the motion of hands putting ballots into the box. The record also includes a sticker with a QR code that links to a number of voter registration groups and know your rights organizations.

The band recently debuted both new songs from the single during their set at Supernova International Ska Festival in Hampton, VA and completed a tour of the UK & Europe, to boot. The constantly-on-tour combo have dates through the rest of 2024, including multi-night SlackFest stands in Chicago, IL and Austin, TX, and runs on both the West Coast and East Coast of the USA with fellow Pirates Press Records artist Jesse Wagner of The Aggrolites, who will be playing solo on this tour, backed by The Bandulus.

THE SLACKERS TOUR DATES:

11/15/2024 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club – SlackFest North, Night 1

11/16/2024 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s Rock Club – SlackFest North, Night 2

11/22/2024 – Austin, TX – Flamingo Cantina – SlackFest South, Night 1

11/23/2024 – Austin, TX – Flamingo Cantina – SlackFest South, Night 2

11/24/2024 – Austin, TX – Flamingo Cantina – SlackFest South, Night 3

w/ JESSE WAGNER OF THE AGGROLITES (solo with THE BANDULUS)

12/04/2024 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl

12/05/2024 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile

12/06/2024 – Portland, OR – Dante’s

12/07/2024 – Berkeley, CA – Cornerstone

12/08/2024 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley

12/10/2024 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater

12/11/2024 – Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad

12/12/2024 – Phoenix, AZ – The Rebel Lounge

12/13/2024 – San Diego, CA – Observatory North Park

12/14/2024 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall

12/15/2024 – Anaheim, CA – House of Blues – SlackFest West

12/19/2024 – Bensalem, PA – Broken Goblet Brewing

12/20/2024 – Washington, DC – Black Cat

12/21/2024 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Bowl

12/22/2024 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair