originally published: 08/19/2025
Photo by Dutch-Doscher
(NEW YORK, NY) -- Prime purveyors of psychedelia and one of the biggest U.K. bands of the '90s, Kula Shaker are back and stronger than ever before. The band released the single "Broke As Folk" on August 1st and will perform at Irving Plaza in New York City on Monday, September 22, 2025 as part of their North American tour.
Featuring their classic line-up - Crispian Mills (vocals/guitar), Alonzo Bevan (bass), Paul Winter-Hart (drums) and the fan favourite Jay Darlington (Hammond organ) - the band’s previous album, 2024’s Natural Magick, achieved their highest chart position in a quarter-of-a-century. Now Kula Shaker build on that momentum with the release of the new single "Broke As Folk."
Foreboding keys and sparse gothic guitar sets an ominous tone before "Broke As Folk" suddenly changes gear. What emerges from the shadows is a luminous flourish of laidback country-rock grooves, supported by Jay Darlington’s inimitable swirling Hammond bursts. Crispian Mills’ melodious voice delivers lyrics which possess an undercurrent of anger at economic inequality, but in keeping with Kula Shaker’s spiritual philosophy, this is a song which exalts love and the purity of nature as the things we need to get through it. The music captures a similar atmosphere, too, its organic sound sourced from its warm, natural production.
Tickets for the Irving Plaza show are available for purchase online. The venue is located at 17 Irving Place, New York, NY.
"Broke As Folk" was written by Kula Shaker and was produced by Peter Miles at Middle Farm Studios in Devon, UK.
Crispian Mills says, “‘Broke As Folk’ is a song for everyone who didn’t fly in to Jeff Bezos’s wedding, who’s not the 1%. The world is broke and has been for a while. So this is about all that. It’s also about counting one’s blessings, being grateful for the spiritual joys that money can’t buy. Like friends and family and foraging for mushrooms. It’s also got a really cool organ solo by Jay, which is what the world needs right now.”
This is Kula Shaker’s second new song of 2025 and comes as they put the finishing touches to their eighth studio album. Their previous single, "Charge of the Light Brigade," placed a mystic twist on Madchester inspired sounds, while its lyrics used the infamous military action of the Crimean War as a metaphor for refusing to be apathetic to contemporary conflict. The band also made a high impact return to the live arena, with a sprawling UK tour as special guests to Ocean Colour Scene. Their new era has been supported with coverage including The Guardian, Loaded and Northern Exposure, as well as fresh airplay from Amazing Radio.
Kula Shaker emerged during the Britpop era, but were very much an anomaly: their sound evoking echoes of Jimi Hendrix, The Doors and Deep Purple but with an energy befitting the optimistic zeal of the mid-’90s. Their debut track "Grateful When You’re Dead" was their first introduction to the world, and their rise was cemented with a series of classic hit singles: the free-spirited rock ‘n’ roll rush of "Hey Dude" (#2), the Indian influences, unstoppable hooks and mantra-like vibes of "Tattva" (#4) and "Govinda" (#7) plus their famous take on the classic "Hush" (#2).
Their debut album K shot to #1 in the UK and achieved double-Platinum status as it simultaneously climbed charts across the world. Their second record, Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts, also hit the Top 10 and delivered another hit in the shape of Sound of Drums (#3). They resurfaced sporadically between 2007-2016 until they began a new era of creativity with 1st Congregational Church of Eternal Love and Free Hugs in 2022 and was soon followed by Natural Magick in 2024 which was supported with coverage including NME, The Line of Best Fit and Louder.
The North American dates are:
September 16 Chicago, IL | Metro
September 18 Toronto, ON | Mod Club
September 19 Montreal, QC | Le Studio TD
September 21 Boston, MA | Brighton Music Hall
September 22 New York, NY | Irving Plaza
September 22 Salt Lake City, UT | Metro Music Hall
September 23 Fort Collins, CO | Washington's Foco
September 25 * Dallas, TX | Longhorn Ballroom
September 26 * Austin, TX / Levitation 2025 | Mohawk
September 27 * Houston, TX | The Heights Theater
September 29 * Santa Fe, NM | The Bridge
September 30 * Phoenix, AZ | Marquee
October 2 * Santa Ana, CA | Observatory OC
October 3 * San Diego, CA | Humphrey's
October 4 * Pioneertown, CA | Pappy & Harriet's
October 6 * Los Angeles, CA | Bellwether
October 8 * San Francisco, CA | Regency Ballroom
* Signifies dates with The Dandy Warhols
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