Punk and Folk may not seem immediate musical bedfellows, but Frank Turner, one-time frontman of cult hardcore act Million Dead has made the switch, and there is perhaps more of the spirit of punk in his current work than in much of the corporate rebellion fodder that passes for it.
After the break up of Million Dead, Frank wanted to further explore the quieter side of his musical taste, so armed with an acoustic guitar he embarked on a ‘never ending tour of everywhere’ in October 2005. Sleeping on floors and travelling on trains around the UK and Europe, he wrote the songs that make-up ‘Sleep is for the Week’, a collection of eloquent and witty tunes about the joys and pains of life in modern Britain.
Retaining a Black Flag style work ethic, he has around 210 gigs under his belt so far and shows no signs of slowing down.
“I’ve got a bit of puritan workaholic streak running through me and I want more,” he says with conviction. “It would be nice to top 300 in 2007.”
There’s an undoubted political element to his music, but it’s not all preaching and gloom, Turner’s songs are filled with a humour and pathos which set them apart.
“I always though that songs are like people. If you meet someone who has no sense of humour, they’re utterly dreary twats and should be killed.” He remarks with a sly laugh. “I mean if someone had the personality of a James Blunt song, they’d be an awful, awful bastard.” Quite.
By Kenn Taylor
Kenn Taylor 