On June 14, The Story Pirates will release their second album, Backstroke Raptor (Gimlet Media).
The Story Pirates travel the world in search of treasure, but of a most unusual kind — kids’ stories. They turn the wildest and most imaginative tales into sketch comedy, books, and songs to entertain millions of families worldwide. In fact, it’s those stories that fuel The Story Pirates Podcast, which has racked up more than 10 million downloads, and featured guests such as Dax Shepard, David Schwimmer, John Oliver, Timothy Simons, Claire Danes, Patton Oswalt, and more.
Backstroke Raptor is an 11-track follow-up to last year’s award-winning album, Nothing is Impossible — and like every song on the new album, the story idea for the first single comes from a young author. “The Giraffe Didn’t Know” was inspired by Jonah, a Pennsylvania 5-year-old. Written by Henry Koperski, Brendan O’Grady, and comedian Matt Rogers (who sings the tune), it’s a soulful pop anthem about a young ungulate who wants to change the world but doesn’t know how to do it.
“This is our weirdest and wildest collection of songs yet,” says Story Pirates co-founder Lee Overtree, a co-executive producer of the album. “These are tales about people, animals or monsters who want to make things better. Through determination and grit, they find the power to change their situation.”
Backstroke Raptor Track Listing:
- Backstroke Raptor
- Samantha
- The Wizard Who Could Just Go Poof
- The Great Wallaby Adventure
- Cement Dude
- A Girl with Superpowers
- The Person Who Could Not Spin
- A Hamster’s Workday
- Barry and the Big Climbing Tree
- The Giraffe Didn’t Know
- Dreaming Sheep
From 8-bit video game-inspired chiptunes, to B-52’s-inspired surf rock, Western ballads, and whimsical raps, the album delivers fun for the whole family. There’s even a brief appearance by a dragon that sounds suspiciously like Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The Story Pirates perform regularly in New York City, Tarrytown, NY, and Los Angeles. This summer, they’ll also appear at Wilco’s Solid Sound Music & Arts Festival in Massachusetts, and the City of Las Vegas Summer Concert Series.
Additionally, the nonprofit Story Pirates Changemakers continue to bring creative literacy programs to dozens of schools each year.
