It’s hard to stand out when you’re on stage with 7 other talented artists, but that didn’t seem to present a problem for Frank Turner. After catching the Brit on the Revival Tour back in November, I became an instant fan of the hardcore-frontman-turned-troubador. If you got a ticket to his show at Hotel Café Tuesday night, you were one of the lucky ones as he sold out the venue, and I’m sure you understand what I mean when I say he delivers his folk songs with punk energy and passion. He’s now prepping for a tour with Flogging Molly and was kind enough to answer a few questions for LA Music Blog about the upcoming tour, working with producer Alex Newport, and the DVD that can bring his live show right into your living room.
Your most recent release, Poetry of the Deed, was recorded with a full band. Was this process more difficult for you than previous albums?
I wouldn’t say more difficult, just different. The guys I play with in the band are all amazing musicians (hence me wanting them in the studio). We spent a month getting ready, rehearsing the new songs and playing a short residency in a club in Oxford, to get our chops down with the new material. The actual recording process was very quick. We played everything live, and knocked the entire album out in 5 days, which was tight but we managed it. Then Alex and I flew to New York and did the vocals and the mix. It was a tough couple of weeks, but successful.
Why did you choose to use a full band on this project?
I’ve always wanted to have a touring band, and by the end of 2008 I’d finally gotten exactly the right lineup. We’d reached a point where, to my ears, the live versions of songs off the first two albums were better than the studio versions. It seemed like it’d be madness to fall into that gap again.
You also worked with Alex Newport on this album. What was that experience like?
I’d never worked with an outside producer before, so I was a little nervous about how that was going to go down, but in the end it was a really great experience. Alex was amazing as an overseer of the project, pushing me and the band to the limit of our abilities. I was also a huge fan of Fudge Tunnel, his old band, so that was nice too!
What do you feel he brought to the table that might have been missed without him?
I was worried that he was going to tell me how to write songs or something, but he didn’t do that at all. He just went through what we had with a fine-tooth comb and made us all really scrutinize our own playing and arrangements and so on. I think the album is a lot more consistent as a result.
You also got picked up for the Green 17 Tour with Flogging Molly. How did that come about?
They called and asked, and I said yes. I’m very excited about the tour, not least because it’s the first time the band is coming to the States.
Are there any cities you are excited to hit on that tour?
Many! New York is always fun, and I’m a big fan of Florida and the South in general. It’s also fun to go to new places, like Ohio.
Talking about tours, we recently saw you on the Revival Tour. What was that experience like?
The Revival Tour is a flat-out awesome experience. It’s such a joyously original idea, but at the same time it harkens back to something that feels really old and authentic. Chuck’s hit on a winner with that one. The tour was long and pretty grueling schedule-wise, but it’s a very musical tour, a lot of fun, and I made some firm new friends.
Do you feel the setup that they have for that tour is something that could grow?
It certainly feels pretty Zeitgeist-y right now. I think Chuck Ragan is at the forefront of whatever the hell you want to call this folk/punk crossover thing happening right now, and I think he’s a damn sight more authentic and genuine about it than many. He’s also a dedicated man, so yeah, expect to see that one continue!
Can we maybe expect to see you back there this year?
I’m not sure right now, working out my scheduling for the rest of the year, but I would absolutely love to if I can.
You are releasing a DVD this year as well. Can you tell us a little more about that?
The DVD has two full live shows on it. One is a full band show from Shepherd’s Bush Empire in London, and one is the Christmas show we did last year, which was a kind of stripped down, unplugged set, so they’re pretty different. Then there are as many extras on it as we could fit—videos, tour diaries, interviews and so on. One of the neat things about it is that people outside the UK haven’t, as yet, had the chance to see the kind of headline shows me and the band are doing in the UK right now. I think it’ll be quite eye-opening, actually.
What else do you have planned for 2010?
I’m going to be on tour around most of the world for the rest of the year, which is awesome. I’ve never been to Australia before, and I’m excited about breaking new ground. I’m also planning to find time to get back into the studio at some point this year, so we can have a new album out at the start of 2011. No rest for the wicked.
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