Transmissions :: Richard Thompson (2026)

About this episode

Hippies, Thugs, and Heroes finds guitarist Richard Thompson sounding as savage, lyrical, and eloquent as ever. This week on Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions, we're pleased to welcome Thompson back to the show. If you dig this show, there’s a pretty solid chance that you already know that he's one of the founding fathers of British folk rock, known for his work with Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, his former wife Linda Thompson, Nick Drake and others. Writing about Thompson, Aquarium Drunkard’s own Tyler Wilcox praised his “unparalleled instrumental prowess, his superhumanly sensitive tone, and his singular melodies.” Thompson last joined us in 2021 to discuss his memoir, Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice (1967-1975). Since then, he’s released Ship to Shore in 2024, and now Hippies, Thugs and Heroes, which was produced by Thompson and James Frazee in Weehawken, New Jersey. In this conversation, Thompson guides us into the crime-ridden world of the new album, discusses the jangling influence of Tom Petty and The Byrds, his own prowess on the drum kit, working quickly and without much worry, and some of his past collaborators, including Mitchell Froom and Tchad Bl