We knew Dave Wakeling was writing new material with his English Beat band, and now they plan on releasing new music soon. First, they need a little bit of help to get it released and have started up a PledgeMusic campaign to help them fund it. Sure, it’s not the original English Beat besides Dave but I’m all for new material from Dave Wakeling and The English Beat! Besides the PledgeMusic thing which is big news in and of itself, The English Beat are touring like crazy (what else is new) and plan on playing 2 dates at City Winery in NYC.

With their music still wildly popular and logging in thousands of concerts, THE ENGLISH BEAT have been steadily building and maintaining a massive fanbase that they have nurtured with classic tunes for three decades… And now, singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Wakeling has been writing and composing new music and is getting ready to release a new album in the near future. But before he and his band can do that, they’re inviting fans to be a part of this long-awaited journey. Today, June 12, 2014, The English Beat will be unveiling a PledgeMusic campaign to allow fans to pre-order the album early and be a part of the creation of it. Featuring over a dozen different exclusives with some limited edition packages, the PledgeMusic campaign will be the homestretch in preparation for the next English Beat album.

“I am thrilled about our new PledgeMusic campaign, because I have always enjoyed interacting with the band’s fans,” says Wakeling. “This is an opportunity for even more connection and fun. Power to the People!!!”

Among the exclusives are autographed CDs and LPs, T-shirts, handwritten lyrics, inclusion on the upcoming album’s CD booklet, a private jam session with Dave on the guitar, and even a studio visit while the band is recording and singing on the chorus of one of the songs. For $1500, fans can travel with the band to two consecutive US shows on the tour bus. To view the campaign, visit www.pledgemusic.com/theenglishbeat.

Preparing for another round of tour dates, The English Beat will be kicking off tomorrow in Athens, GA on June 13 and not settling down till the end of the year (dates below).

Tour Dates:

Jun 13 The Melting Point Athens, GA
Jun 14 Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Jun 15 The State Theatre Falls Church, VA
Jun 18 Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
Jun 19 Tupelo Music Hall Londonderry, NH
Jun 20 Tupelo Music Hall White River Junction, VT
Jun 21 Manchester 65 West Warwick, RI
Jun 22 Prince Music Theatre Philadelphia, PA
Jun 25 Port City Music Hall Portland, OR
Jun 26 Johnny D’s Boston, MA
Jun 27 Stephen Talkhouse Amagansett, NY
Jun 28 City Winery New York, NY
Jun 29 City Winery New York, NY
Jul 02 City Winery Chicago, IL
Jul 03 City Winery Chicago, IL
Jul 07 Duck Room St. Louis, MO
Jul 13 Orange County Fair Costa Mesa, CA
Jul 17 Live 105’s Block Party San Jose, CA
Jul 18 City Winery Napa Napa, CA
Jul 19 City Winery Napa Napa, CA
Jul 22 Jenks Club Allenhurst, NJ
Jul 23 Bergen Performing Arts Center Englewood, NJ
Jul 25 Stephen Talkhouse Amangansett, NY
Aug 01 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Aug 02 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA
Aug 08 The Canyon Club Agoura Hills, CA
Aug 09 Pershing Square (FREE SHOW) Los Angeles, CA
Aug 13 Triple Door Seattle, WA
Aug 14 Triple Door Seattle, WA
Aug 15 Wonder Ballroom Portland, OR
Aug 23 Red Rocks Amphitheatre Denver, CO
Aug 31 ‘80s Rewind Fest Lincoln, CA
Sep 07 The Magic Bag Ferndale, MI
Sep 12 Bottle & Cork Dewey Beach, DE
Sep 26 Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA
Oct 09 Lake Perris Community Fair Perris, CA
Dec 31 The Coach House San Juan Capistrano, CA