“My next hardcore project will be aggressive and in-your-face. It’s gonna give me the scope to write in a completely different style, which I’m really excited about.”
success of England Keep My Bones, this might be a very wise decision. Oh, and if you haven’t heard this album yet, do so. From the Last Post-style intro, into the DADGAD tuned folk of Rivers, the teeth-gritting hardcore stomp of One Foot Before The Other, and, finally, to the gospel anti-hymn Glory Hallelujah, it’s an amazing, collaborative, yet personal, achievement. It’s also, on balance, a very positive record. Though there are tough, raw, personal love songs, like Redemption, or paeans to lost loved ones like Nights Become Days and Peggy Sang The Blues, even these songs have a hopeful slant. Glory Hallelujah may sound like simple fish-in-a-barrel, religion-bashing, but it is actually a call-to-arms to live life to the full, regardless, or in spite, of belief. So, what happened to that anger, frustration and bile that used to spill forth in torrents from the 30 year old singer’s earliest musical ventures?
It seems that beneath the mild-mannered exterior lurks an angry side long bottled-up and ready to explode. It seems that the often-rumoured hardcore side project might be about to emerge, finally spurred into life by the recent London riots.
“I have a lineup together, ideas, and we’re gonna do some rehearsing in January,” Frank admits. “It will be a very aggressive, in-your-face kind of
“The temptation arises to write more actively political music but I still want my music to be all- inclusive.”
project. There is a negative, vicious, nihilistic streak that will get vented out that’s gonna give me the scope to write in a completely different style, which I’m really excited about.” The reasons for steering away from hard political topics or specific social commentary – as opposed to the strong, but general, messages of songs like Sons of Liberty – is pretty simple, and it isn’t because Frank has lost interest. “The riots were very scary and very depressing. I was in London on the worst night of it and it was not a fun experience for my friends or myself. It’s an interesting time in the world generally and politically right now. Though the temptation arises to write more actively political music when I write stuff for my day job; the thing that comes out every time is that I want my music to be inclusive. I really dislike the idea of people not coming to my shows and not buying my records because of the political stuff. That makes me feel kind of sad and that’s something I want to avoid.”
Believing that you can change the world with your songs is part and parcel
of the professional song writer’s art. If that simply means writing those songs that will help you believe in yourself, or simply being polite to the shop assistant earning minimum wage; do it. “I’m lucky in the sense that, if you like, the creative tap is still running and
there’s still a cycle of ideas coming through. Part of all this, for me, is getting as much stuff out of me as possible.” We’ve said it more than once and we’ll say it again; the world needs more people like Frank Turner. PM
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www.playmusicpickup.co.uk
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