Sea mist, the scent of rum and aimless romance all combine into foamy folk-pop wash in the hands of Liverpool’s incandescent, swaying five-piece, The Shipbuilders as they ready the launch of their second album with its first single, Daydreaming – OUT NOW. Evoking in parts the grizzled trad of Lankum and the pirate indie pop of The Coral, the three-minute, two-chord tumble of brass, harmonised choruses and no small regret puts a pin in the map for the Fri 11 July 2025 release of their second album, This Blue Earth, on Shipwrecked Records.
Porous and inquisitive Merseyside minds and hearts, receptive equally to the sounds of Tom Waits, The Pogues, Love and native heroes such as Teardrop Explodes, make up the expanded line-up of The Shipbuilders, adding to the band that released 2022’s debut album, Spring Tide, with trumpeter, Pistol Pete Higham. Gathering round the totem of singer and songwriter, Matty Loughlin-Day’s inspirations, Daydreaming is the first, brass-framed, full-throated hint of the band’s progression since a debut described by critics as ‘magical’ (Mojo).
As much a band as an ongoing cultural exchange, bringing together their own Shipwrecked club nights in Liverpool, combining music, art and literature, the band promises that ‘there’s not a cliché’ in sight’ across This Blue Earth’s ten tracks. An album of painstaking construction and hearty atmosphere was written and recorded in their home city in the company of producer, Danny Woodward (BC Camplight, Ladytron).
As an ideal entry point to the album and inspired choice for the band’s first release in three years, Daydreaming finds Loughlin-Day shooting from the hip from within the mire of lost love. Gathering round the robust voices of his musical compatriots to sing away the darkest of clouds, sorrow and resignation have never sounded so good.
"The song was written many moons ago, during a period of heartbreak; the myth of King Midas' secrets being betrayed by the whispering green grass and a general sense of feeling lost matched the mood of the moment,” says Loughlin-Day. “Pistol Pete Higham’s trumpet line changed everything and opened the song up in a way we'd been trying to do for years. Working with Danny, we explored every nook and cranny of the song, not wanting anything to be predictable, repetitive or boring, which we achieved. Given that there are only two chords in the whole song, that's no mean feat."
Completed by the remainder of the band, Danny Lee (guitar), Tony Ferguson (bass) and Graeme Sullivan (drums), every member bringing a distinct and vital musicianship and sense of bonhomie, The Shipbuilders have enjoyed a steady rise in cahoots with their esteemed peers. A run of nationwide support dates on the road with supported Michael Head & The Red Elastic Band in 2023 resulted in the limited release of their Live At Hebden Bridge album, complete with Daydreaming as a careering opener.
On the cusp of announcing more live dates in support of the release of This Blue Earth, The Shipbuilders look forward to the last in a run of recent gigs this month, appearing at Bristol’s Exchange Basement on Sun 26 April 2025.
The full track listing for This Blue Earth is confirmed as follows:
1. 95 Miles
2. Daydreaming
3. La Dolce Vita
4. The River
5. Metempsychosis
6. Flagpole
7. Hills Of Mexico
8. Polynesia
9. On the Run
10. Heavy Is The Weight
