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Feb 15, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Tom Marshak

Steve Mason, former frontman of The Beta Band, is releasing a new album, Brothers & Sisters, on March 3 via Double Six, an imprint of Domino. Now he has shared its third single, “Brixton Fish Fry,” which features Pakistani singer Javed Bashir. Listen below, followed by Mason’s upcoming UK tour dates.

Mason had this to say in a press release: “Myself and Javed chatted for some time over Zoom about the track, he was in Lahore, and I explained my love of Indian and Pakistani music, my connection to Kashmir (my wife) and Pakistan, the concept of the record and how I wanted it to be a statement against the direction Britain has gone in and how I wanted it to represent all the innumerable and indispensable things we take for granted that immigration and movement of people and culture has brought here. Like everybody involved in the making of this record he understood immediately and was very happy to be part of this statement. Both his contributions took my breath away and made my wife cry. The connection of her family and culture being brought together with me and my music was very powerful for us as a family and encapsulated in a moment the entire purpose and point of this album.”

Previously Mason shared the album’s first single, “No More,” which also features Pakistani singer Javed Bashir and was one of our Songs of the Week. Then he shared its second single, “The People Say,” which was also one of our Songs of the Week.

Brothers & Sisters was co-produced with Tev’n and also features British gospel singers Jayando Cole, Keshia Smith, Connie McCall, and Adrian Blake, as well as Kaviraj Singh on the santoor. It is the follow-up to About the Light, which was released in January 2019 via Double Six. That album followed Boys Outside (2010), Monkey Minds in the Devil’s Time (2013), and Meet the Humans (2016).

Mason had this to say about the new album in a previous press release: “To me, this record is a massive ‘Fuck you’ to Brexit. And a giant ‘Fuck you’ to anyone that is terrified of immigration because there is nothing that immigration has brought to this country that isn’t to be applauded. Can you imagine what this place would be like without that [immigration]? I mean what would it be like? Cornish pasties and morris dancing?”

Steve Mason UK Tour Dates:

March 3 – Rough Trade East – LONDON
March 4 – Resident – BRIGHTON
March 6 – Rough Trade – BRISTOL
March 7 – Relevant Records - CAMBRIDGE
April 20 – Future Yard – BIRKENHEAD
April 21 – Academy 2 – SHEFFIELD
April 22 – Academy 2 – OXFORD
April 27 – Brudenell Social Club – LEEDS
April 28 – Pop Recs Ltd – SUNDERLAND
April 29 – King Tuts – GLASGOW
May 3 – Gorilla - MANCHESTER
May 4 – Electric Ballroom – LONDON
May 5 – Rescue Rooms – NOTTINGHAM
May 6 – Concorde 2 - BRIGHTON

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