Frank Turner On His Punk Rock Roots

Former vocalist of hardcore punk band Million Dead, this singer/songwriter is now succeeding in a solo folk rock career. WatchMojo.com chats with Frank Turner about his punk rock roots.

Frank Turner On His Punk Rock Roots Rebecca Brayton: Since his days as a lead vocalist in a hardcore punk band Million Dead, this artist has mellowed and is now succeeding in a solo full career. Hi! I'm Rebecca Brayton and welcome to Watchmojo.com and today, we’re speaking with Frank Turner about his punk rock background. You’re kind of accepted also in the punk rock community as well as the folk community but I read that you kind of tried to distance yourself from that neo k at least. Frank Turner: On this side of the earth I think it’s a much more kind of like sort of familiar and like accepting type of thing and it’s quite larger, everybody kind of knows each other and it’s kind of a cool sort of supportive kind of vibe which I would have no problem being a par of. The punk scene in the U.K. has always been a bit more kind of like bitchy, a bit more kind of like back stabbing. And, in some ways I think that’s cool because it gives rise to study different style of punk rock which is generally kind of nastier and darker and harder. And that’s to my taste personally but people told me now I may end up with -- I don’t ever feel like we are promising. We -- so we got a --. I just really wanted to be part of that kind of delay. I wanted to just stand on my own and not be the token acoustic guy on the punk show. Rebecca Brayton: Do you feel that you’ve kept your audience from the Million Dead or have you kind of completely started anew? Frank Turner: I started with the assumption that I would keep none of them because it was a different thing and I would remain pleasantly surprised in the number of people here kind of crossed the river with me. It slightly surprised me the number of people straight away with just like cool yeah, I get it. And, I remember at the time being like, “Really?” It was almost more than convincing people to come across. It was getting the word out by what I was doing because it was like touring for three years and I was still getting people coming out saying, “Oh man I never needed anything after Million Dead.” It’s like, “How can I get the word out.” I think I've finally kind of close attention. Rebecca Brayton: Tell us a bit more of the album Poetry of the Deed. Frank Turner: In the studio, it kind of turned into more of a rock record than anything I've done solo previously maybe because I kind of go to a large band together who are phenomenal and amazing. On previous records, I played bass instruments and I'm much better now so it makes no sense to do it that way again. Yeah, it was definitely kind of my rock album and I wanted some page. I want it sound expensive. Rebecca Brayton: Thanks very much. Frank Turner: Awesome! Thank you.