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Talking To...Frank Turner
#NC We all know the Ian Brown quote that it's not where you're from that's important but where you're at, but to what extent has coming from Winchester, Wessex, the South contributed to the Frank Turner you present to the world?
#FT Well, I'm a Winchester boy through and through, I think that impacts my character, sure. I think coming from a more rural area, not London or Manchester or wherever, influences my outlook on life. It's not all necessarily positive influence either, sometimes I feel a little trapped in that viewpoint, but it's there nonetheless.
#NC You spend a lot of time talking about yourself, promoting yourself, discussing yourself, do you separate Frank Turner the performer from Frank Turner the person? What do you do when you're not working?
#FT That's actually a really good question. I spend some time worrying about losing my sense of self. As things get bigger doing what I do now, my name occasionally starts to acquire the attributes of something abstract, detached, remote. It's pretty strange sometimes. On some levels I don't want there to be a line between me onstage and off, because I try to make honest music. But at the same time I need to be careful to husband my private life, to make sure it's still there and still healthy, in order to not lose my mind. I think I'm doing OK thus far.
#NC You seem to create a community of musicians around you and form alliances with people like Chris TT and Beans on Toast, but you're clearly relishing the freedom of being up front on your own - do bands work best as full democracies or benevolent dictatorships?
#FT I think that's entirely dependent on the people involved. Personally, right now, I feel most comfortable running my own affairs, and being able to choose to work with other people as and when I please. But I know some musicians who are incapable of functioning outside the band context. And that's fine.
#NC What are you most proud of?
#FT Being a professional travelling musician, and having achieved what success I have done entirely under my own terms.
#NC What are your ambitions?
#FT To become better at what I do - write better songs, play better shows, be a better singer and showman.
#NC You played your 1000th solo show this year for Strummerville, how many gigs are you up to now? What do you plan for the 2000th?
#FT I think I'm on 1130 or so now... There's a comprehensive list on my website, I'm slightly OCD about the whole thing. It'll be a little while before I hit 2000, so I guess I've got time to plan another party, ha ha.
#NC You're going to play Wembley Arena next year - that's a long way from Winchester Railway? Will you approach it like any other gig or are you busy designing stage sets, dance routines and pyrotechnics?
#FT Isn't it just? Crazy times. I think my production crew and I are looking to put on a great show, make the biggest impact that we can, entertain the crowds. I'm not sure I'm one for dance routines and such, but you have to paint bigger on a bigger canvas.
#NC What's next after Wembley? A new album? Bigger tour? An island in the sun?
#FT After that, well, that's an interesting question. Wembley feels like the logical conclusion of the arms race for bigger venues, for now. I think I'll be looking to work on a new album by then, and maybe look at doing some different kinds of touring over here.
photocredits:
Neil King
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Discography
Sleep Is For The Week
Love Ire & Song
Poetry Of The Deed
England Keep My Bones
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