Frank Turner | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Turner in 2014 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Francis Edward Turner (1981-12-28)28 December 1981 (age 44) Manama, Bahrain |
| Origin | Meonstoke,Hampshire, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
|
| Member of | |
| Website | frank-turner |
Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981)[2] is an Englishpunk andfolk singer-songwriter.[3] He began his career as the vocalist ofpost-hardcore bandMillion Dead, then embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. In the studio and during live performances, Turner is accompanied by his backing band,The Sleeping Souls, consisting ofBen Lloyd (guitar, mandolin), Tarrant Anderson (bass),Matt Nasir (piano, mandolin) and Callum Green (drums).
To date, Turner has released ten solo albums, four rarities compilation albums, one retrospective "best of" album, one split album and fiveEPs. Turner's ninth studio album,FTHC was released on 11 February 2022 and reached number 1 in the UK albums chart in the week following its release.
Turner was born to Jane Cartwright, a primary school head teacher, and Miranda Turner, an investment banker, who came out as a trans woman in 2015.[4][5] Upon returning to England, the family settled first inWinchester before moving toMeonstoke.[6] His maternal grandfather isRichard Fox Cartwright (1913–2009),Bishop of Plymouth.[7] Through Miranda, his grandparents are Sir (Ronald) Mark (Cunliffe) Turner (1906–1980),[7] a merchant banker who was also the chairman of high street retailerBHS, and Margaret, daughter of Sir HerewardWake, 13th Baronet.[7][8][9]
As a child, Turner played the piano,[10] before teaching himself to play the guitar at the age of 11. He discovered his love for music through seeing anIron Maiden poster on his friend's bedroom wall whilst playingWarhammer, and he convinced his parents to buy him a copy of the albumKillers and later a guitar. Turner was educated atSummer Fields[citation needed] and subsequently on a scholarship atEton College, where he studied alongsidePrince William.[11] He has since described his experiences of being at boarding school as traumatic, having led to periods of self-harm and suicidal ideation.[12]
The first record Turner owned was the albumKillers byIron Maiden.Metal was the first genre of music he fell in love with, and he remains a passionate fan.[13] Turner's musical career began at school, with the short-lived alternative band Kneejerk. The band released three records and played several shows around the UK. The last record, their only full-length, was titledThe Half-Life of Kissing and was released by Yorkshire DIY hardcore label Sakari Empire after the band had broken up.[14][15]
In 2001, Turner joined London post-hardcore bandMillion Dead at the invitation of former Kneejerk drummer Ben Dawson.[16] In 2005, after four years and two albums, the band announced that they were parting ways, for "irreconcilable differences within the band mean that it would be impossible to continue."[16] Around that time, Turner got a tape withBruce Springsteen'sNebraska on it; he later said "That was a really big moment for me hearing that record in terms of a turn around in my music career, from hardcore punk bands to what I'm doing now."[17]
Turner's first solo shows took place prior to the break-up ofMillion Dead, with a set at theSmalltown 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".[18] Turner states that "whenMillion Dead finished, I wanted to stay on tour, but I didn't want the hassle of putting a band together."[19]
After a split EP with rock bandReuben, Turner's first solo EP,Campfire Punkrock, was released in May 2006 onXtra Mile Recordings, with him being recorded and backed by Oxford bandDive Dive whom he had met while out on tour with Reuben.[18][20] Band members Tarrant Anderson,Ben Lloyd andNigel Powell would become his backing band from this point on, with most of his subsequent UK headline tours being full band shows.
After Turner toured in support of American singer-songwriterJonah Matranga, the two released asplit EP in August 2006.
In September, Turner was the last act to appear onSteve Lamacq'sLamacq Live show onBBC Radio 1.[21]
Turner's debut full-length studio album,Sleep Is for the Week was released in January 2007, again recorded at Dive Dive's studio, produced by their guitarist Ben Lloyd and featuring drummer Nigel Powell.[citation needed]
After an extensive tour, including dates supportingyourcodenameis:milo andBiffy Clyro, and an appearance atSXSW,[22] Turner released an EP,The Real Damage, in May 2007.
After a further tour withJonah Matranga andJacob Golden, the "All About The Destination" DVD was released in October 2007, before Turner returned to the studio inHampshire to record his second album. The album,Love Ire & Song again sawBen Lloyd fromDive Dive in the producer's seat,[23] and was released on 31 March 2008, followed by an extensive UK tour withAndy Yorke andChris T-T. T-T also joined the live lineup on keyboards through summer 2008.
During summer 2008, Turner made several festival appearances, including sets atY Not Festival,Two Thousand Trees Festival, theCambridge Folk Festival,Truck,Glastonbury, Jam by the Lake (in Durham) and theReading and Leeds Festivals.
In October/November, during his 2008 UK Tour for theLove, Ire and Song album, he became ill withgastroenteritis, and was forced to leave the stage in Nottingham halfway through his set. All remaining shows, which includedNottingham,Liverpool andIreland, were cancelled, the first time that Turner as a solo artist had cancelled any show in 10 years.[24] He went on to reschedule all cancelled shows in January 2009.
In December 2008, Turner releasedThe First Three Years, a compilation of demos, B-sides and covers that were not featured on either of his first two studio albums.
In January 2009, Turner released a combined package ofLove Ire & Song andThe First Three Years, and supportedthe Gaslight Anthem on their tour of the UK and Europe, demoing several new songs and announcing his plans to record a new album.
The new album was produced by Alex Newport. Recording took place in April and May 2009 at Leeders Farm inNorwich and the producer's own studio, Future Shock, inBrooklyn,New York City.
Turner's band at the time still consisted ofBen Lloyd, Tarrant Anderson andNigel Powell fromDive Dive, with keyboardistMatt Nasir having been added on theLove, Ire and Song tour.
Prior to recordingPoetry of the Deed, Turner stated that:[25]
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 calledPoetry of the Deed.
Turner was announced as the support act onThe Offspring's summer tour, during which he documented his travels with a blog on British music websiteNME.[26] When talking about the support slot, Turner stated: "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."[27]
On 28 April 2009, Turner signed withEpitaph Records for releases outside the UK.[28]
Turner's third studio album,Poetry of the Deed, was released on 7 September 2009, and reached No. 36 in the UK album chart. The album's first single, "The Road", received the status of 'Hottest Record in the World Today' byBBC Radio 1 DJZane Lowe on 14 July 2009.[29] The track, "Poetry of the Deed", was released as the second single from the album.
In late 2009, Turner embarked upon a UK tour with his band in support of the album (with singer-songwriterBeans On Toast and US bandFake Problems as support acts), culminating in a sell-out show at theO2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 29 October 2009. A live DVD/CD, entitledTake to the Road, documenting two shows from the tour (O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire and theUnion Chapel) was released in the UK in March 2010.
In November 2009, Turner toured the US alongsideChuck Ragan,Jim Ward,Tim Barry,Joey Cape,Dave Hause, and others, as part of the 2009Revival Tour.[30] Turner returned to Europe on 28 November and to the UK on 19 December. He completed the year with a New Year's Eve show at The Spiegeltent in Gloucester.
In early 2010, Turner played several more UK gigs, withChuck Ragan andCrazy Arm supporting. He also accompaniedFlogging Molly andThe Architects on the 2010 Green 17 Tour, and announced via his Twitter that he was working on new songs.[31]
From 22 April to 1 May 2010, Turner toured Australia withChuck Ragan,Tim Barry, and Ben Nichols ofLucero for the 2010Revival Tour.[32]
In May 2010 Turner travelled to China to play a six city tour with promotersSplit Works.[33]
In June 2010 he supportedGreen Day on their stadium shows, and also featured as the cover star ofKerrang! magazine for the first time, with an article inside documenting his solo career up to that point.
Turner played at many festivals throughout the summer of 2010, including his headlining appearance at theTwo Thousand Trees Festival, playing his new song "I Still Believe". The song was released first as a single and then appeared on hisRock & Roll EP.[34] Turner also contributed one song, a cover of "Build Me Up Buttercup", toCentrepoint's 2010 charity cover album1969 Key to Change.[35]
On 24 September 2010, Turner releasedBuddies, a 10 track split album with Americanalternative country artist,Jon Snodgrass. The pair recorded the album inColorado whilst on tour together.
On 25 January 2011, he was nominated for twoShockwaves NME Awards, for best Solo Artist and best Band Blog or Twitter.[36]
Turner announced on his Twitter on 24 February 2011 that his fourth studio album would be calledEngland Keep My Bones and that it would be released in the UK on 6 June 2011 and worldwide on 7 June 2011. He also announced details of solo tours in Australia, Germany, the UK, and the US & Canada.[37] Turner started the recording of this album on 10 January 2011[38] and finished recording on 20 January 2011,[39] with mixing completed in February 2011. In March 2011, Turner stated that:[40]
I wanted this album to feel more like a solo record made with a band, whereas the last record was more of a band album overall. There's still a fair bit of 'rock' material on the record, but there's a lot more folky, acoustic material this time around than last time. I'm not taking any drastic stylistic turns here, but there are little forays into new territory at the edges. 'Poetry' was definitely off to one side of the spectrum for me. This record is a bit more down the middle. There's even an acappella tune on there. But then there's a pretty full-on hardcore song as well.
Turner leaked a new song, "I Am Disappeared", to YouTube on 29 March 2011, later making it available for free download throughXtra Mile. He also announced that he would soon be releasing "Peggy Sang the Blues" as the first single from the album.
On 21 March 2011, it was announced that Turner would be making the step up to the main stage atReading and Leeds in August 2011.[41] He spoke about the "perks" of playing Reading in an interview with 6 Towns Radio.[42]
Turner also playedDownload,Blissfields andCambridge Folk festivals, as well as many other festivals across Europe, and as a headliner atBlissfields Festival.
On 21 April 2011, Turner played his 1000th solo show at theStrummerville festival inShoreditch, London.
Several songs fromEngland Keep My Bones were debuted atPlay Fest (a new music festival in Norfolk) on 28 May 2011.
During his May 2011 tour, Turner played a new song, tentatively titled "Rod Stewart". This song was later retitled "Sailor's Boots" and was released as the B-side to "If Ever I Stray".[43]
England Keep My Bones entered the UK chart at number 12 on its week of release, Turner's highest charting album at that point (later surpassed byFTHC, released 11 February 2022, which reached #1).[44]
Turner later released a rarities compilation, titledThe Second Three Years, on 18 November 2011 through Xtra Mile Recordings and 16 January 2012 through Epitaph Records. The album compiled material recorded after the release of Turner's first compilation,The First Three Years, that did not appear on either of Turner's two successive studio albums, including tracks from EPs, singles, covers and unreleased material.
In spring 2012, he played several dates in Canada as an opening act forJoel Plaskett.[45] On 13 April 2012, Turner headlinedWembley Arena to a sold-out crowd of 12,000.[46][47] Support for the show came fromBeans On Toast,dan le sac vs Scroobius Pip andBilly Bragg.
On 27 July 2012, Turner and the Sleeping Souls performed at the pre-show for theLondon 2012Olympics Opening Ceremony. The band played "Sailor's Boots", "Wessex Boy", and "I Still Believe".[48]
In August 2012, Turner unveiled his new side project,Möngöl Hörde, a hardcore band including drummer Ben Dawson (formerly of Million Dead) and Sleeping Souls keyboardist Matt Nasir on guitar. The group played their first shows in London and Leeds shortly before playing at theReading and Leeds Festivals, where they debuted some new material and covered tracks by acts includingThe Streets andNirvana.
In October 2012, 'Believe', Turner's own beer, a 4.8% modern wheat beer brewed with Signature Brew, was announced.[49]
Turner opened for theDropkick Murphys on their European tour, also headlining a tour in November and December 2012.
Turner recorded his fifth studio album inBurbank, California, in October 2012. The decision to record abroad for the first time in California was due to producerRich Costey's refusal to bring all of his equipment to England, so he persuaded Turner to record in Burbank instead.[13] Turner announced via Twitter on 28 October 2012 that recording was completed, and mixing and mastering would be done in time for a March 2013 release date.
During the November and December 2012 UK tour, a CD titledGood Hangs fromXtra Mile Recordings was distributed for free at Turner shows; this included a yet-to-be-released Turner song titled "Tattoos" plus theMöngöl Hörde song "Casual Threats From Weekend Hardmen".
On Christmas Day 2012, the song "Four Simple Words" was released on theXtra Mile Recordings' website as a free download along with the B-side "Cowboy Chords". On 4 January 2013, a video was shot for what would be the first single. On the same day Turner announced on Twitter that the single was the song "Recovery". On 9 January, Turner revealed the titles of all 13 songs on his new album via Instagram. This included songs played during the UK and US tours of 2012 such as "Anymore", "Plain Sailing Weather", "We Shall Not Overcome" and "Tell Tale Signs". He also posted on his fan forum that an extended edition of the album would include an extra 5 or 6 songs. On 19 February 2013, it was announced that Turner had signed a licensing deal withInterscope Records in the US forTape Deck Heart.[50]
Following the release of the album, Turner embarked on a short UK tour. He was also confirmed as the headline act for theTwo Thousand Trees Festival and main stage slots at theReading and Leeds festivals. Following the success of the album, Turner embarked on a UK arena tour, including a date at London'sO2 Arena.
On 3 January 2014, Turner appeared on theBBC'sCelebrity Mastermind answering questions onIron Maiden,[51] scoring 20 points in total (7 on his specialist subject), and coming first.
In 2014 Turner andMöngöl Hörde released a full-length self-titled studio album, and toured in support of that album in late June, playing a run of smaller venues. In July of that year, Turner also announced a 15 Date UK tour, playing places that would not normally feature live music such as local town halls.
On 25 July 2014, Turner announced on his Twitter page that he was collatingThe Third Three Years. It was released on 24 November 2014.
In 2014, Turner announced that he was in the process of writing a book, consisting of tour diaries and travel memoirs, asking fans to contribute to the book by sending in stories and pictures they shared with Turner. The book, titledThe Road Beneath My Feet, named after lyrics from Turner's song "The Road", was released on 26 March 2015, published byHeadline Publishing Group. Following the book release, Turner embarked on a 2015 book tour, which included signings, question-and-answer sessions and live solo performances from Turner. The book went straight into the bestseller charts.[52]
On 20 March 2015, Turner released a lyric video promoting a new song called "Get Better" which was to be on his sixth album. Alongside it, he offered a free download of the song from his website. On 29 April 2015, following several posts of a similar nature on social media, a picture was posted of the mastered album with no artwork. This was followed by an Instagram post on 11 May 2015, in which Turner shared the album's cover and its title,Positive Songs for Negative People.
On 1 June 2015, it was announced that Turner would play a set atGlastonbury 2015 on the Other Stage.
On 15 June 2015 Turner released the music video for "The Next Storm", the second single fromPositive Songs.... The video features former mixed martial artist andAll Elite Wrestling professional wrestlerCM Punk.
Turner then released a three-song acoustic session on the website PunksInVegas.com, premiering "Josephine", "Love Forty Down" and "Glorious You".[53]
Positive Songs for Negative People, produced byButch Walker at his studio inNashville, Tennessee, was released worldwide on 31 July 2015. A deluxe edition of the album was also made available featuring solo acoustic versions of 10 of the 12 original album tracks.
On 20 November 2015, a deluxe vinyl boxed set was released byXtra Mile Recordings, entitledThe First Ten Years, it brought together Turner's 3 compilation albums:The First Three Years,The Second Three Years andThe Third Three Years, together with a new rarities disc, namedTen For Ten.Ten for Ten was also issued as a separate release on 12 February 2016.
On 26 August 2016, Turner played theReading and Leeds Festivals for the 10th year in a row which is a record. This was his 1,955th show as a musician.
On 27 January 2017, Turner re-released his debut album,Sleep Is for the Week, as a tenth anniversary edition. The re-released album was issued on CD and vinyl and consisted of 2 discs, the first being the original album and the second being a copy of Turner's very early CDR demo disc, including 6 demos. The release also included a download link forLive at the Vic, a recording of Turner's performance at the Victoria,Swindon on 6 April 2007.[54]
On 10 February 2017, Turner released a new song entitled "The Sand in the Gears", a political song that seemingly refers to the election ofDonald Trump as the President of the United States. The track was recorded live on 19 January 2017 at the Fillmore inSilver Spring, Maryland.
In March 2017, Turner was invited to visitFreetown, Sierra Leone, byThe Joe Strummer Foundation. The foundation raises funds in the UK and distributes them to various charitable groups worldwide, including Way Out Arts, which brings music to disadvantaged street kids in Sierra Leone. Turner gave guitar lessons to some of the students at Way Out Arts, played and spoke on a local radio station and visited a number of cityslums where he played to the residents. He followed up this trip with further visits toSierra Leone in 2019 and 2020.[55]
Throughout 2017, Turner and other members of the Sleeping Souls sporadically posted images of the band in the studio, eventually confirmed to be the sessions for his seventh studio album, with Turner revealing on social media in early November that recording for the album had been completed.
On 16 October 2017, Turner announcedSongbook, a collection of old and personal favourite songs, as well as rerecorded and unreleased versions of old songs, to be released on 24 November 2017.[56][57]
Songbook included a new song "There She Is", which Turner confirmed to also be on his upcoming seventh studio album through an Instagram story in November.
On 27 January 2018, Turner announced his seventh studio albumBe More Kind and leaked a track from the album, "1933". On 16 March 2018, Turner released the first official single from the album, "Blackout".
Be More Kind was recorded atNiles City Sound inFort Worth, Texas, and was released worldwide on 4 May 2018.[58]
On 2 June 2018, Turner re-released his second album,Love Ire & Song, as a tenth anniversary edition. The re-released album was issued on CD and vinyl and consisted of two discs, the first being the original album and the second including demos and recordings of radio performances on theBBC Radio 1Zane Lowe show. The release also included a download link for Turner's performance at the Social,Nottingham, on 12 April 2008.[59]
On 24 January 2019, Turner released theDon't Worry EP, the title track of which was previously included on his 2018 album,Be More Kind. A reworked version of "Little Changes" was included, together with two new songs.
Turner published his sophomore bookTry This at Home: Adventures in Songwriting on 21 March 2019. Again published throughHeadline Publishing Group, the book focuses on the stories surrounding various songs throughout his career, starting with some of his earliest songs and continuing all the way through to his most recent material. Turner supported the release of the book with a series of in store signings and solo shows.
On 8 March 2019, at a show inLisbon, Portugal, Turner debuted a new song entitled "I Believed You William Blake".[60] This song was revealed to be part of Turner's upcoming eighth studio album when he debuted the entire tracklist at a later show inBoston on 15 May 2019.[61]
Turner contributed vocals to the song "Let 'Em Go" bythe Wildhearts on the albumRenaissance Men, released on 3 May 2019.[62][circular reference] Turner has made many live appearances with the Wildhearts, has publicly spoken of his love of the band and friendship withGinger Wildheart.[63]
On 31 May 2019, Turner re-released his third album,Poetry of the Deed, as a tenth anniversary edition. The re-released album was issued on CD and vinyl and consisted of two discs, the first being the original album and the second including several album demos. The release also included a download link for Turner's intimate performance atUnion Chapel, Islington on 19 December 2009.[64]
Turner announced his new album,No Man's Land, across his social media on 26 June 2019.[65] He revealed the album name, as well as the concept and theme of the album, which focuses on and celebrates the life and stories of historical women.[65] He also announced a companion podcast to the album, titledTales from No Man's Land. Each episode of the podcast goes into more detail about the album and the stories behind each of the songs. The podcast also features guest musicians.No Man's Land was released worldwide on 16 August 2019. On 9 August 2019 Turner and his band were the main act for Friday evening atFairport's Cropredy Convention inCropredy, nearBanbury.[66][67]
The album's lead single, "Sister Rosetta", and its accompanying podcast episode were released on 3 July 2019.[68] The song's lyrics tell the story of gospel singer-songwriter and guitaristSister Rosetta Tharpe, who heavily influenced later rock-and-roll musicians such asChuck Berry,Elvis Presley andJohnny Cash. For the song's podcast episode, Turner hosted alongside fellow musicianEmily Barker (who had also written a song about Tharpe) and discussed her legacy.
Turner promotedNo Man's Land with a run of nine shows across the UK, starting at theAlhambra Theatre, Dunfermline, on 22 November 2019 and finishing atAlexandra Palace, London, on 3 December 2019. These differed from Turner's typical performances: all venues were seated, and the shows were split into two distinct sets. The first set was a solo set that saw Turner playing songs fromNo Man's Land and telling the stories behind the songs and the historical women about whom they were written. The second part of the show saw Turner play with the full band, but the production was more stripped-back and thoughtful than a usual Turner set.[69] The recording of his show at City Hall in Newcastle on 27 November 2019 was released as a live album on 24 April 2020. Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic of 2020, it was only released digitally.
On 13 December 2019, Turner released a live recording of his 2000th show. The release was issued on CD and DVD and documented his performance atRock City,Nottingham, on 15 December 2016. The DVD tracklisting includes a version of the classicMotörhead track "Ace of Spades".
On 31 July 2020,West Coast vs. Wessex, a split album with Los Angeles bandNOFX, was released onFat Wreck Chords. The ten-track album saw each act cover five songs from each other's discography.[70]
On 13 November 2020, Turner releasedBuddies II: Still Buddies, a follow-up to 2010'sBuddies EP. The ten-track album saw Turner once again team up with friendJon Snodgrass. As with the 2010 original, the album was written in one day; however, this time the writing and recording process had to take place remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.Buddies II is the first album that Turner recorded, mixed and mastered on his own.[71]
On 8 April 2021, Turner hosted a show with long-term friendEmily Barker which was streamed live from theTunbridge Wells Forum. The show, entitled 'Barker-Turner Overdrive' (a play on the name of the bandBachman-Turner Overdrive) saw Turner and Barker play classic duet songs from country and pop artists. The set also included a new song, "Bound For Home", which Turner and Barker wrote together and later released as a single on 14 May 2021.[72]
On 6 May 2021, Turner released a new track, "The Gathering", a song about people coming back together following the COVID-19 pandemic andlockdown of 2020. The track featuresMuse drummerDominic Howard, andJason Isbell on guitar.[73]
On 4 June 2021, Turner re-released his fourth album,England Keep My Bones, as a tenth-anniversary edition. The re-released album was issued on coloured vinyl and consisted of two discs: the first being the original album, and the second including never-before-heard session demos recorded inEl Paso. The release also included a download link for exclusive album demos recorded at Blacksmith Studios,Portsmouth.[74]
On 19 June, whilst also simultaneously playing live inBideford, Turner appeared (as part of pre-recorded segments) onScott Doonican's Big Neet in, a lockdown livestream YouTube show, hosted by the lead singer ofBarnsley-based comedy bandThe Bar-Steward Sons of Val Doonican. He was interviewed by a blue-haired Scottish puppet journalist called Gloria McGlumpher and performed a version of his own song "The Road", which featured a combination of his own original lyrics and parody lyrics written by Scott Doonican when his band celebrated their 1000th show a year earlier. During the interview, Turner described it as "the best interview I've ever done".[75]
Turner released a new single called "Haven't Been Doing So Well" on 16 September 2021. This was followed by the release ofFTHC, his ninth studio album, on 11 February 2022. The album went straight to number 1 in the official UK album chart,[76] the first time Turner had reached the number 1 spot. Turner and The Sleeping Souls were due to embark on a tour entitled "The Never Ending Tour of Everywhere" starting in January 2022.[77] However, rising COVID-19 cases in the UK following the emergence of theOmicron variant lead to the tour being cancelled in December 2021 due to health concerns for the crew and audience.[78]
On 19 August 2022, he and his friend Chris Blake, who produces music under the name Palest Boy at School, released an album as Eating Before Swimming entitledPlaytime with Christopher and Francis Volume 1.[79]
Turner broke the firstMusic Venue Trust world record in May 2024 when he played 15 gigs in 24 hours, each in a different UK town or city.[80] A share of the proceeds from these shows was donated to theMusic Venue Trust.[81] The attempt was undermined by the bandCrywank who did an unofficial run of 16 shows in 16 cities in 24 hours the day before, but their attempt was not recognised by any official awarding bodies.[82] TheGuinness World Record group are yet to verify Turners attempt.[83]
Turner released his tenth studio album,Undefeated, on 3 May 2024. The album was recorded at Turner's home studio and was his first album to be entirely self-produced. The album was also the first to feature Sleeping Souls drummer, Callum Green, who joined the band in 2020, followingNigel Powell's departure. On the album's accompanying tour, Turner celebrated his 3000th show on February 22, 2025, with a performance at the 10,000 capacityAlexandra Palace in London.
On November 7th, 2025, Turner released a compilation of b-sides, rarities, covers and acoustic versions calledThe Next Ten Years which acts as a follow up toTen for Ten and is his 5th such compilation. Released digitally and as a triple LP.
In early 2017, it was announced that Turner was to start his own festival. Named 'Lost Evenings', the festival was announced as a 4-day festival celebrating live music and community.
The first Lost Evenings took place on 12–15 May 2017 at iconicCamden music venue, theRoundhouse. Turner performed two greatest hits sets, as well as a full run-through of his debut album,Sleep Is for the Week. Amongst other artists, Turner was supported bySeth Lakeman andBeans On Toast.[84]
Performances were split across two stages, the main stage and the 'Nick Alexander Stage', the latter being named after Turner's long-term friend and merchandise manager, who was killed in theBataclan attack in 2015.
Turner headlined four consecutive concerts on the main stage. The 'Nick Alexander Stage' hosted emerging acts all handpicked by Turner andRadio X DJ, John Kennedy.
In addition to the evening performances, OneFest (a UK-based, non-profit, music industry development company set up to support the emergence of new talent) ran events and panels during the day.
In September 2017, Turner and Lost Evenings won the Best Independent Festival Award at theAIM Independent Music Awards run by theAssociation of Independent Music.
Turner returned to theRoundhouse for the second Lost Evenings festival which took place on 11–14 May 2018. As well as his three other sets, Turner performed his second studio album,Love Ire & Song in full. Other artists on the main stage includedThe Subways,Emily Barker andArkells.[85][86]
Lost Evenings 3 moved away from London in 2019 and took place at theHouse of Blues,Boston, on 16–19 May 2019. As well as greatest hits and acoustic sets, Turner performed his third studio album,Poetry of the Deed in full. Singer-SongwriterLoudon Wainwright III andThe Hold Steady also performed alongside Turner on the main stage.[87][88]
Lost Evenings 4 was scheduled to take place at the Arena,Berlin on 21–24 May 2020. It was originally due to take place at Astra Kulturhaus, but tickets sold out quickly due to high demand, therefore the venue was changed. Artists scheduled to also play the main stage includedCatfish and the Bottlemen andKT Tunstall. However, as a consequence of theCOVID-19 pandemic of 2020, the festival was cancelled.[89]
Following the cancellation of the Berlin edition due to COVID-19, the new date for Lost Evenings 4 was once more announced to be held at theRoundhouse, this time on 16–19 September 2021.[90]
Lost Evenings 5 took place between 15–18 September 2022 in the area known as the "Columbia Triangle" inBerlin, consisting of Columbia Hall, Columbia Theater, and Silverwings. Other performers includedBeans On Toast,Grace Petrie andCraig Finn.
Lost Evenings 6 took place between 21–24 September 2023 atHouse of Blues,Anaheim, California. Other artists that played the main stage at Lost Evenings 6 includedKT Tunstall,Pedro the Lion andChuck Ragan.
Lost Evenings 7 was held between 19–22 September at the Great Canadian Resort Toronto inToronto, Ontario, Canada. 2024's lineup includedBedouin Soundclash andMurder by Death.[91] Lost Evenings 7 generated $76,000 for various charities, such as local LGBTQ+ groups, homelessness and housing groups, the Nick Alexander Memorial Trust and more.[92]
Lost Evenings 8 is scheduled for 25–28 September 2025, inEdinburgh, Scotland.[93]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Turner performed a weekly show from his own home on his Facebook and YouTube channels to raise money for independent grassroots music venues that were forced to temporarily close due to the pandemic.
Talking about the online shows, Turner toldNME:
I'm very wary of telling people what to do in general, but one of the things I want to say to other artists is that this is fun. There are benefits to me in that it keeps people talking and if you can get 8,000–10,000 people tuning into you playing in your front room, then why not? You're not losing out by doing something like this. There's endless time at the moment and it's so easy to do. I'm somewhat of a technophobe but I literally put my laptop on a pile of books, press one button to make this work and that's it. None of us would have a career without these venues existing. None of us would have the music we love, so pay something back.[94]
Turner played one of his albums in full on each of the livestreams, and save for one exception, did not repeat one song during all the online shows. The one exception was the song "Silent Key", which appears on bothPositive Songs for Negative People andNo Man's Land. As well as the full album shows, he also played a couple of covers sets, including a set of songs that appear inDisney films and one set featuring songs by his good friends.
Turner played a total of 21 'Independent Venue' shows and 2 other shows which were specifically to raise money for his band and touring crew and his publishing label,Xtra Mile Recordings. All but one show, Independent Venue Love 13, took place at Turner's home. The 13th show was streamed live from theClapham Grand, where he was joined byBilly Bragg andBeans On Toast. Turner raised in excess of £260,000 across the 23 shows.
Speaking about the human impact of losing venues, Turner said:
Running a small venue is a business model that runs on small margins, generally from month-to-month or week-to-week and the current closures puts them in very immediate danger – threatening longterm and deeply profound damage to the scene as a whole. Underground music and culture cannot exist unless it has somewhere to exist. There are acts like me,Biffy Clyro,Ed Sheeran andAdele who needed time to incubate, find their voice, develop and grow – and we couldn't have done that without these places existing. But it's not just about incubating future stars, there are tonnes of bands who only exist in small grassroots venues and only ever will. They're still absolutely valid, and if they don't have a place to perform their art then they can't do it. They just won't exist anymore.[94]
Turner married actress and musician Jessica Guise on 30 August 2019.[95] He frequently collaborates with her and her band Guise, who release music through Xtra Mile Recordings.[96] On 17 September 2024, Guise posted to Instagram that their marriage was over following "Frank's actions on his US tour in June".[97]
Turner has citedThe Weakerthans,Bruce Springsteen,Black Flag,NOFX,Descendents,Counting Crows,Nirvana,The Clash andJohnny Cash[98][99][100][101] as musical influences. Through his music, Turner has discussed several personal themes, including heartbreak, aging, the difficulties of touring, marriage, mental health difficulties, grief and substance misuse. Turner talked openly about his struggles with anxiety and cocaine addiction during the release cycle forFTHC.[102]
Turner has described himself as a "classical liberal" and a "centrist". His song "Sons of Liberty" was inspired by the philosophies ofAdam Smith andKarl Popper. Turner was formerly ananarchist in his 20s and said in an interview with theNew Statesman "my adolescent politics were all about anarchism and destroying things, the destruction of everything."[103] He has a tattoo ofama-gi,Sumeriancuneiform for "freedom", on his left forearm. Turner receiveddeath threats following a news article fromThe Guardian which quoted him describing himself as alibertarian, referring tosocialism as "retarded", and believing that "leftist politics lead to the misery of many."[104] In a subsequentGuardian interview, Turner clarified his views: "The non-Marxist British left is a fantastic tradition: it's all about non-conformism and voluntarism. The advances of the unions are great advances in human society." He condemned the "repugnant"British National Party for being "socially rightwing/racist" and having "authoritarian leftwing" economic policies.[105]
In a 2024 interview withThe Freethinker, Turner stated that he does not believe in the supernatural and identifies with a broadly humanist outlook, describing nature as "super enough" without religious explanations.[106]
In 2013, Turner became a patron of the assisted dying campaign groupDignity in Dying.[107] In 2016, he was appointed a patron ofHumanists UK (formerly the British Humanist Association), which campaigns on a number of ethical andsecularist issues, including assisted dying.[108]
Turner is a friend ofBilly Bragg. In 2013, the pair busked together to raise money for the homelessness charityShelter.[109]
In the past, Turner wasstraight edge for five years, and was vegetarian for 11 years.[110]
Turner's band, The Sleeping Souls,[111] (named after a lyric from "I Am Disappeared") consists of:
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Totals[a] | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Nominations | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||
Note
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| Category | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Kerrang Awards 2010 | No Half Measures Award | Won |
| Shockwaves NME Awards 2011 | Best Solo Artist | Nominated |
| Best Band Blog or Twitter | Nominated | |
| Shockwaves NME Awards 2012[113] | Best Solo Artist | Nominated |
| Best Band Blog or Twitter | Nominated | |
| Bandit Rock Awards 2011[114] | Best International Breakthrough | Nominated |
| AIM Awards 2011[115] | Best Live Act | Won |
| Hardest Working Artist | Won | |
| AIM Awards 2012[116] | Best Live Act | Nominated |
| Hardest Working Artist | Nominated |
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url= (help)Working with Signature Brew in March of this year to formulate ideas, Turner has come up with a 4.8% Belgian style wheat beer which is said to be 'a modern twist on the traditional wheat beer encompassing citrus and orange flavour'.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
![[3]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fscontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net%2fv%2ft1.0-9%2f66190292_10157482447224138_1906805083870330880_n.jpg%3f_nc_cat%3d101%26amp%3b_nc_oc%3dAQkh5mWOdBA1q1i3yhc3ntFmh0JdkSgkSwRhHfdtnT2VkRtJplvuXQK1YkAIy2UVXDQ%26amp%3b_nc_ht%3dscontent-lht6-1.xx%26amp%3boh%3d2ed79911f0f27660066c712710d68b6a%26amp%3boe%3d5DB603B8){kind=link}