Kneecap will donate the profits from their new album Fenian to charity.
The West Belfast band’s second studio album, the follow-up to Fine Art, was released on May 1 and has already shot to number two on the UK charts, making it the highest-charting Irish language album release in UK history.
Now, Kneecap have revealed that profits from the record – which features collaborations with Kae Tempest, Radie Peat and Fawzi – will help to fund The Palestine Solidarity Campaign in London and Glór na Móna and Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich in Belfast.
They wrote on Instagram: “Hello again a chairde Gael – we have come number 2 in the British Charts. We’ve been pipped at the post by someone called Michael Jackson…. This is the highest ever Irish language chart position there.
“Fine Art came in at 43 two years ago, some jump for FENIAN and we appreciate all the kind words and reviews. Massive thanks to everyone for the support we sold a massive number of records/cds/tapes all across the lands.
“We have decided to give all our earnings from these sales away to three organisations; The Palestine Solidarity Campaign in London and Glór na Móna Cultúrlann McAdam Ó Fiaich in Belfast. Special thanks to Dan Carey Jeff Barrett and all at Heavenly.”
The band went on to blast British Prime Minister Kier Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
They wrote: “See you all in Belfast at the end of the month for AVA and London in June (Crystal Palace). F*** Kier Starmer and Nigel Farage! Free Palestine. Free the 6 counties.”
They signed off with the words “Grá Mór”, the Irish for “Big Love”.
Meanwhile, it was previously revealed that Móglaí Bap wrote Kneecap’s new song as he struggled to “confront the reality” of his mother taking her own life.
The Irish hip-hop trio released new track Irish Goodbye last month from their new album Fenian, and Móglaí Bap – real name Naoise Ó Cairealláin – reflected on how the powerful song featuring poet Kae Tempest was penned after the death of his mother in 2020.
He wrote in a lengthy Instagram post: “I never meant to write a song about this.”
However, he and his brother recently saw a documentary about their father in the 90s, when he was president of the democratic forum for the Irish-speaking community.
He continued: “That had a profound effect on me, seeing her happy. I was so emotional seeing her like that.
“I had written a song about her before, called MAM, which came out in 2020. She was sick at the time with depression.
“The idea I had in my head with MAM was, if I wrote it, she’d hear it, and maybe she’d feel her worth, because when you suffer from depression, you can’t see your own value.
“At that time, we went for a walk, and I told her I had written a song for hear, but that it wasn’t completely finished yet, so I’d wait until the next week to play it for her. But by then it was too late.”
The rapper noted it took him “years” to come to term with his mother’ death, while therapy has helped him most, as he encouraged people to talk to someone.
Móglaí Bap also hopes the song can help people dealing with similar grief.
He said: “I’m hoping if people listen to the song, and watch the video, maybe something will connect that gives them some sort of relief.
“You can’t carry this stuff around with you and blame yourself. It’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.
“It’s about the process of dealing with it. And you can deal with it. You can.”