Frank Turner
(born 28 December 1981) is an English folk singer-songwriter, and former vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead. To date, Turner has released two studio albums, a compilation album and two EPs.
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FRANK TURNER TICKETS
EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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Boston Calling Music Festival: Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, The Killers & Leon Bridges - 3 Day Pass Tickets 5/24 | May 24, 2024 Friday | | Boston Calling Music Festival: Tyler Childers, Trey Anastasio, Khruangbin & Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls - Saturday Tickets 5/25 | May 25, 2024 Sat, 1:00 PM | | Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Tickets 9/3 | Sep 03, 2024 Tue, 6:00 PM | | Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Tickets 9/5 | Sep 05, 2024 Thu, 6:00 PM | | Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Tickets 9/6 | Sep 06, 2024 Fri, 7:00 PM | |
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Early life
Turner was born in
Muharraq,
Bahrain [1], and grew up in
Meonstoke, just outside
Winchester, England. He was educated on a scholarship at
Eton College, before earning a degree in History from the
London School of Economics.
Musical career
Turner's musical career began at school, with the short-lived alternative band Kneejerk. The band self-released three albums and played several shows around the UK (including a support slot for
boysetsfire), before disbanding in November 2001.
[2]
In 2001, Turner joined London
hardcore band
Million Dead at the invitation of former Kneejerk drummer Ben Dawson.
[3] In 2005, after four years and two albums, the band announced that they were parting ways, as “irreconcilable differences within the band mean that it would be impossible to continue.”
[3]
Turner's first solo shows took place prior to the break-up of Million Dead, with a set at the
Smalltown America all-dayer at
93 Feet East in London. After the band's split, Turner felt that “it seemed like the logical thing to do to try my hand at playing these songs more publicly and more concertedly than before”
. Turner states that "when
Million Dead finished, I wanted to stay on tour, but I didn’t want the hassle of putting a band together."
[5]
After a split EP with rock band
Reuben, Turner's first solo EP,
Campfire Punkrock
, was released in May 2006 on
Xtra Mile Recordings.
After touring in support of American singer-songwriter
Jonah Matranga, the two released a
split EP in August 2006. In September, he was the last act to appear on
Steve Lamacq's “Lamacq Live” show on
BBC Radio 1.
[6] Turner's debut full-length,
Sleep Is for the Week
, was released in January 2007.
After an extensive tour, including dates supporting
yourcodenameis:milo and
Biffy Clyro, and an appearance at
SXSW [7], Turner released an EP,
The Real Damage
, in May 2007. After a further tour with
Jonah Matranga and
Jacob Golden, the “All About The Destination” DVD was released in October, before returning to the studio in
Hampshire to record his second album. The album,
Love Ire & Song
was released on March 31, 2008, followed by an extensive UK tour with
Andy Rourke and
Chris T-T.
During summer 2008, Turner made several festival appearances, including sets at
Two Thousand Trees Festival, the
Cambridge Folk Festival,
Truck,
Glastonbury, Jam By The Lake (in Durham) and the
Reading and Leeds Festivals.
In October/November, during his 2008 UK Tour for the
Love, Ire and Song album, he became ill with
Gastroenteritis, and was forced to cancel Nottingham halfway through the set. All remaining shows, which included
Nottingham,
Liverpool and
Ireland were cancelled. He hadn't cancelled a show in 10 years. 'This is the first time in 10 years on the road that this has happened. I wasn't 100% before the show, and was nearly persuaded to pull the show then, but thought that 500 people with tickets deserved my best efforts.'
[8] He went on to reschedule all cancelled shows January 2009.
In December he released
The First Three Years
, a compilation of demos, b-sides and covers that are not featured either of his studio albums. In January 2009, he released a combined package of
The First Three Years
and
Love Ire & Song
, and supported
The Gaslight Anthem on their tour of the UK and Europe, demoing several new songs and announcing his plans to record a new album in May. The album, reportedly titled
Poetry For the Deed
, is tentatively scheduled for release in September
[9], with a UK tour following in October. The album will be produced by
Alex Newport, as previously suggested in interview by Turner.
[10]
Regarding the new album, Turner recently stated that:
The new album is about 75% written - in the sense that the songs, as skeletons, are done, but this time round I’m rehearsing the material with my band before we record, so I’m sure that some things will change in terms of structure and arrangement as we settle into them. We’re recording the album as a band this time round, I’m really excited about it, the guys I play with are phenomenal musicians, and hopefully this way I’ll be able to close the gap a little between live and studio. Material-wise I’m really happy about where I am at the moment, though not complacent; there’s a fair amount of pressure for this record, from me more than anyone else. The album is going to be called Poetry Of The Deed
. [11]
Turner has been announced as a support act on
The Offspring's upcoming Summer tour, during which he will be documenting his travels with a blog on English music website
NME.
[12] Regarding the announcement, Turner states that: "
Smash
was one of the first punk records I ever bought, and I’m blown away to even be considered for the shows. From a “career” point of view, it’s also great - playing to many thousands of people a night across the States is an opportunity not to be sniffed at."
[13]
On April 28, Turner signed with
Epitaph Records for releases outside the UK.
[14]
Discography
Studio Albums
- Sleep Is for the Week
(2007)
- Love Ire & Song
(2008)
- Poetry of the Deed
(expected September 2009)
Compilations
- The First Three Years
(2008)
EPs
- Campfire Punkrock
(2006)
- The Real Damage
(2007)
Demos
Singles
- "Vital Signs" (December 25, 2006)
- "Photosynthesis" (March 24, 2008)
- "Reasons Not to Be an Idiot" (June 23, 2008)
- "Long Live the Queen" (October 20, 2008) UK #65
- "Reasons Not to Be an Idiot" (iTunes Single of the Week, week commencing 26 January 2009)
- "The Road" (August 31, 2009)
Splits
- Xtra Mile Singles Club Split (January 30, 2006)
- Jonah Matranga / Frank Turner Split (July 17, 2006)
- : Frank Turner / Austin Lucas Split ( - ? , 2009) - . Frank covers Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road".
Compilation appearances
- Public Service Broadcast #8 (April 17, 2006)
- "Photosynthesis" - "2000 Trees - Cider Smiles Vol.1", (Hide & Seek Records, June 2008)
- Xtra Mile High Club (Xtra Mile Recordings, 2008)
Videography
- Casanova Lament (unaired)
- Vital Signs (2006)
- The Real Damage (2007)
- Photosynthesis (2008)
- Reasons Not to Be an Idiot (2008)
- I Knew Prufrock Before He Got Famous (2008)
- Long Live the Queen (2008)
- The Road (2009)
DVDs
- All About the Destination (October 22, 2007)
References
- Title Unavailable
- Kneejerk official site}} ({{cite web
- Title Unavailable
- Title Unavailable
- http://stereokill.net/2008/11/11/interview-frank-turner/
- Title Unavailable
- Title Unavailable
- http://www.frank-turner.com/2008_11_01_archive.html
- Title Unavailable
- Frank Turner interview on Stereokill
- Interview: Frank Turner
- Modest Mouse Confirm EP Details
- Frank Turner to tour with The Offspring
- http://stereokill.net/2009/04/29/frank-turner-signs-to-epitaph/