Voilà! Here We Are by Robb Johnson and The Irregulars
ROBB JOHNSON & THE IRREGULARS · 2025

VOILÀ!
HERE WE ARE

RELEASE DATE: 8 AUGUST 2025 13 TRACKS IRREGULAR RECORDS

Robb Johnson & The Irregulars return in full-band mode: thirteen songs that move from pop, punk and folk-rock energy to politics, memory, solidarity and lyrical playfulness.

ABOUT VOILÀ! HERE WE ARE

Voilà! Here We Are brings Robb Johnson back together with The Irregulars for a lively full-band record that moves easily between raucous rock, brass-driven pop, reflective songwriting and political commentary.

Across the album, Robb and the band look back at the counterculture, take on war and injustice, celebrate solidarity and trade unionism, and find humour and tenderness in everyday life.

The result is deliberately wide-ranging: some songs are direct, others reveal their meaning more gradually, with the band's energy and musicianship holding the whole record together.

Full-band Robb Johnson: energetic, political, playful and reflective — with plenty of thorns hidden among the roses.

TRACK LIST

Thirteen songs ranging from full-band rock and political songwriting to nostalgia, solidarity and an emergency Marmite sandwich.

  1. Better Now Than Nothing But
  2. Phun City
  3. Poptastic
  4. Cheap and Cheerful
  5. This isn't Gaza
  6. They Will Be Counted
  7. The Last of the Mohicans
  8. That Long Lost Weekend
  9. The Union Train
  10. We Are The River
  11. The 149
  12. BangBangBang
  13. Emergency Marmite Sandwich

THE IRREGULARS

THE IRREGULARS

Sian Allen Horns & backing vocals
Kirsteen Bristow Drums & percussion
John Forrester Bass & backing vocals
Robb Johnson Songwriting, vocals, guitars, piano & artwork
Fae Simon Vocals

GUEST IRREGULARS

Ali Gavan Edits, loops & backing vocals on track 12
Phil McCutchion Photography
Roger Watson Melodeon

RECORDING

Recorded by Ali Gavan at Brighton Road Studios between August 2024 and January 2025.

MIXING & MASTERING

Mixed by Ali Gavan and Robb Johnson.

Mastered by Ali Gavan.

SONGS, POLITICS & MEMORY

COUNTERCULTURE & POP

Phun City and Poptastic look back towards the late 1960s and the worlds of rock, pop and counterculture, while refusing to turn nostalgia into something entirely comfortable.

WAR & INJUSTICE

This isn't Gaza contrasts everyday suburban anxieties with the realities of life in Gaza, while They Will Be Counted confronts those responsible for war.

SOLIDARITY

The Union Train and We Are The River put collective action and solidarity firmly at the centre of the album.

AGEING & MEMORY

The Last of the Mohicans and That Long Lost Weekend look backwards with humour, affection and a sharper awareness of time passing.

PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE

The 149 takes a London bus route as the setting for a celebration of ordinary people and shared humanity.

PLAYFULNESS

The record still finds room for electric-guitar release in BangBangBang and the unexpectedly sentimental Emergency Marmite Sandwich.

REVIEWS

FOLKING.COM

FULL-BAND ROBB JOHNSON

Dai Jeffries described the album as Robb returning to a slightly raucous full-band sound, praising the way apparently enjoyable, playful songs often conceal sharper political and emotional edges. The review highlights Sian Allen's brass, Kirsteen Bristow's drumming, Fae Simon's vocals and the band's sense of enjoyment throughout.

It also singles out songs including This isn't Gaza, They Will Be Counted, The Union Train, The 149 and Emergency Marmite Sandwich, before concluding that this may be one of the most enjoyable Irregulars records in a long while.

READ REVIEW

EXPLORE MORE MUSIC

Discover more of Robb's music or browse the complete catalogue.