Frank Turner

It’s 9am in the UK and Frank Turner couldn’t be more awake. Frank Turner is a man who likes to keep himself busy, between launching his new book, rehearsing for a tour and performing various DJ sets, he managed to fit me into his schedule to talk about his upcoming tour of Australia.
“We sort of accidentally took quite a lot of time off in the last six months, which really wasn’t part of the plan. The scheme I was working towards for the new record got sort of bogged down and that meant that we hadn’t really toured properly recently,” Frank says.
“So we’ve been in the studio for three days rehearsing and the last couple of days have been a bit like, ‘Oh my gawd, how do these songs go again? How do you play guitar?’ But it’s all coming together well.”
With over 20 shows set for across the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand over three months, you can’t help but wonder how do you prepare yourself for such a large touring schedule?
“Well you know I try to do my laundry,” he adds with a laugh. “But previously we’d never been off the road for more than a few weeks in the past eight or nine years. In the last six months I haven’t really done too well living off the road, I just don’t know how, so I’m very excited to be returning to the road as it feels like I’m returning to normality.”
This trip to Australia will see Frank do a couple shows away from the CBD lights, as he’ll be heading to Byron Bay, Newcastle and Geelong. It’s something he wishes he could do more, but doesn’t necessarily notice the difference between the rural and city crowds, it’s simply about getting out to those who can’t get to him.
“I’m not sure if there’s a hard and fast rule which is exactly what makes it interesting. I remember playing in Hobart one time and that was just awesome, it had to be one of the best crowds I’ve ever played for,” he says.
Aside from the upcoming tour of his music, Frank is soon to tour his new book The Road Beneath My Feet in a matter of days, something that’s sure to be a new experience.
“I’ve been writing the book which is a new and interesting – yet gruelling – experience. It’s all memoirs – I suppose that’s how you describe it,” Frank says.
“It’s been interesting because, like a lot of people, writing a book was something I just figured I’d be able to do, and I thought it probably wouldn’t be that much of a challenge. I work with words and I’ve written articles before, but to sit down and actually write a book is crazy hard to do. So I’ve got a new-found respect for anyone that writes books for a living.”
As it is a memoir it’s hard to know just what to expect Frank has divulged in his book. One for being honest, as reflected in his last release Tape Deck Heart about a bad breakup, chances are the book will give you a newfound insight into the musician.
“There are different levels of alarm bells that I suppose kick in with being revealing and exposed, the obvious stuff I guess is you’ve got to think of whether you want to sing that stuff in front of a room full of strangers,” he says.
“Thankfully the studio environment is quite different from the live environment so it enables me not to really think about that. Because I think rawness and honesty in life is the point – at least to me. I think if you were trying to hide things and censoring yourself then I think you would make less interesting art.
“There’s also the level where you’re a writer and you think do I really want to say this about myself? If it makes me weep, it really makes me believe that it’s worth putting in an album and saying.”
With an album like Tape Deck Heart that did receive a little bit of criticism, or just given it’s general candid nature, you can’t help but wonder does Frank wish he could take it back? And how does it reflect on his next release?
“Part of the natural creative cycle I think for anybody is to be pretty down on the last thing that you did while you’re working on the next thing,” Frank says.
“You’re sort of consumed by criticism and what you could have done better the next time around, so it’s partially that and there will also be days where I’ll be like, ‘Did I really just put that album out there?’”
Despite any regrets, Frank is excited about the next release which will be a much more positive album.
“It’s quite a nice sense in a way that the new record I’ve written – that will be out in the summer – isn’t about self doubt, blaming yourself or break ups, and all that kind of thing. It’s actually been quite liberating to write about more upbeat things,” he says.
There’s a high chance some of the new songs will be played in the upcoming tour and as Frank tells me, if you miss him this time around he’ll be assuring his visits to Australia are a little bit more regular.
When&Where: The Corner Hotel, Melbourne – April 12 & 15, The Barwon Club, Geelong – April 16
Written by Amanda Sherring