Gogol Bordello never stays in the same place for long. Bandleader Eugene Hütz started to hear the songs of Seekers and Finders as he shuttled back and forth between three continents, and the nine-piece ensemble developed and refined them on the road. From its inception, Gogol Bordello has been a band of immigrants, with members hailing from Ukraine, Ecuador, Russia, and Ethiopia. They tour relentlessly. Travel is in their blood. 

Yet for all the long hours and far-flung adventures that birthed it, Gogol Bordello’s seventh studio full-length advocates loudly for living life in a specific time and place: right now – and in the real world. 

“People think you explore the world with the latest phone in your hand,” says Hütz. That’s the antithesis of living for Gogol Bordello. None of these songs sprang forth from an interesting news story or an extended studio improvisation. “My focus is always on staying experiential. Go for first-hand information, transmute it into wisdom, and share it with the people in a communal celebration.”