Frank Turner (14/03/2013)
When Frank Turner picked up the phone in the morning U.K time, he told me that he was hung over from seeing a Nirvana tribute band. This is the level of honesty that you hear in Frank Turner’s music (as well as the reoccurring theme of intoxication). God bless music.
Gearing up for his Australian tour towards the end of March with The Dropkick Murphys and Swingin’ Utters for the Byron Bay Blues fest and sideshows, Frank has already had some experience with the headline act touring with the Dropkick Murphys European tour. “It was the first time I did shows in Norway and Spain, which was cool. I actually had to sing for the Dropkick Murphys for a couple of shows because Al (vocalist Al Barr) was sick. I actually got the part at very short notice and ended up singing for the Dropkicks for a few shows. Which was great but I could have done with a bit more practice”.
With a lot of touring under his belt, I asked him where his favourite place in the world was. “To just pick one place in the world is very difficult. I very much like touring the USA. I know it might just sound like I’m saying this, but it’s true that I love touring Australia as well; I always have a great time in Aus. Uh, but everywhere is different and has different attractions”.
It’s not his first time in Australia and he is excited to come back for the tour for the fifth time since going solo. “I look forward to catching up with my Australian friends, the guys in the Smith Street Band, Jen Buxton and people like that. I always have a good time playing so I am looking forward to that as well”.
With a new Frank Turner record Tape Deck Heart due for release in April, I asked him what fans can expect from the new album. “I don’t think I can really comment on what others expect, but I am very proud of it. I mean, I think it’s a good record. It does all the things I want it to do and I think it’s very personal. Conversely it’s a very big and a very bold record”.
He told me he finds it difficult sometimes to perform these personal songs (such as Long Live the Queen which was written about a friend of his that passed away and was released as a benefit single) in a live setting. “There are days when I don’t feel in the best of spirits. One of the things about song writing and what I do for a living, which is great, is that people take the songs that I write which are about me and make them personal to themselves. This is something that I find infinitely wondrous and humbling. I guess if there is a day when I’m not really feeling a particular song I have to remind myself that for other people it’s a different vibe and they will get something out of it and I carry on”.
After playing in a successful post-hardcore band Million Dead Frank created a new post-hardcore band called Mongol Horde for the simplest of reasons. “I just wanted to play with my buddy Ben, really. It was just an itch that I wanted to scratch, it was kinda fun. Hopefully we will play some shows this year and make a record. It’s not enormously serious”.
Playing in a couple of bands as well as solo, I asked him which he prefers. “I feel I have the best of both worlds now as I have a band in any given show I do now. Both approaches to music have their own appeals and I feel I get to experience them both at the same time”.
You can catch Frank at these dates with The Dropkick Murphys:
Saturday, 30th March
Bluesfest, Byron Bay
www.bluesfest.com.au
Sunday, 31st March
Panthers, Newcastle
www.moshtix.com.au 1300 GET TIX
Monday, 1st April
Big Top Luna Park, Sydney
www.oztix.com.au 1300 843 443, www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, www.bigtopsydney.com.au
Tuesday, 2nd April
Festival Hall, Melbourne
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Wednesday, 3rd April
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
www.venuetix.com.au 08 8225 8888
Gearing up for his Australian tour towards the end of March with The Dropkick Murphys and Swingin’ Utters for the Byron Bay Blues fest and sideshows, Frank has already had some experience with the headline act touring with the Dropkick Murphys European tour. “It was the first time I did shows in Norway and Spain, which was cool. I actually had to sing for the Dropkick Murphys for a couple of shows because Al (vocalist Al Barr) was sick. I actually got the part at very short notice and ended up singing for the Dropkicks for a few shows. Which was great but I could have done with a bit more practice”.
With a lot of touring under his belt, I asked him where his favourite place in the world was. “To just pick one place in the world is very difficult. I very much like touring the USA. I know it might just sound like I’m saying this, but it’s true that I love touring Australia as well; I always have a great time in Aus. Uh, but everywhere is different and has different attractions”.
It’s not his first time in Australia and he is excited to come back for the tour for the fifth time since going solo. “I look forward to catching up with my Australian friends, the guys in the Smith Street Band, Jen Buxton and people like that. I always have a good time playing so I am looking forward to that as well”.
With a new Frank Turner record Tape Deck Heart due for release in April, I asked him what fans can expect from the new album. “I don’t think I can really comment on what others expect, but I am very proud of it. I mean, I think it’s a good record. It does all the things I want it to do and I think it’s very personal. Conversely it’s a very big and a very bold record”.
He told me he finds it difficult sometimes to perform these personal songs (such as Long Live the Queen which was written about a friend of his that passed away and was released as a benefit single) in a live setting. “There are days when I don’t feel in the best of spirits. One of the things about song writing and what I do for a living, which is great, is that people take the songs that I write which are about me and make them personal to themselves. This is something that I find infinitely wondrous and humbling. I guess if there is a day when I’m not really feeling a particular song I have to remind myself that for other people it’s a different vibe and they will get something out of it and I carry on”.
After playing in a successful post-hardcore band Million Dead Frank created a new post-hardcore band called Mongol Horde for the simplest of reasons. “I just wanted to play with my buddy Ben, really. It was just an itch that I wanted to scratch, it was kinda fun. Hopefully we will play some shows this year and make a record. It’s not enormously serious”.
Playing in a couple of bands as well as solo, I asked him which he prefers. “I feel I have the best of both worlds now as I have a band in any given show I do now. Both approaches to music have their own appeals and I feel I get to experience them both at the same time”.
You can catch Frank at these dates with The Dropkick Murphys:
Saturday, 30th March
Bluesfest, Byron Bay
www.bluesfest.com.au
Sunday, 31st March
Panthers, Newcastle
www.moshtix.com.au 1300 GET TIX
Monday, 1st April
Big Top Luna Park, Sydney
www.oztix.com.au 1300 843 443, www.ticketek.com.au 132 849, www.bigtopsydney.com.au
Tuesday, 2nd April
Festival Hall, Melbourne
www.ticketmaster.com.au 136 100
Wednesday, 3rd April
Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide
www.venuetix.com.au 08 8225 8888