Wir das Frontstage Magazine hatten die Gelegenheit gehabt, mit dem renommierten Singer-Songwriter Frank Turner über sein neues Album „Undefeated“ zu sprechen, das eine Rückkehr zur Unabhängigkeit und ein bedeutendes Jubiläum in seiner Karriere markiert. In unserem Interview teilt Turner seine Gedanken darüber, warum er sich von Major-Labels abgewandt hat, wie sein Alter seinen kreativen Prozess beeinflusst und welche Themen und Inspirationen hinter den Songs auf diesem Album stehen.
Frontstage Magazine: Frank, you recently mentioned that „Undefeated“ marks your return to independence as an artist. What prompted you to part ways with major labels, and how has this decision impacted your creative freedom?
Frank Turner: I completed my deal as signed with Universal. It was a license deal, so I’ve always been with Xtra Mile, but we worked with Universal for 5 records. Only 5% of artists who sign with a major complete the deal, so I’m proud of that. They wanted to extend and continue, I politely declined. I have no regrets about the past setup, but it feels great to be back in the indie world again now. I feel like the captain of my own ship, it’s nice.
Frontstage Magazine: In your song „No Thank You For The Music,“ you mentioned feeling angrier again as you enter your forties. Could you tell us more about how this anger manifests in your new album and what themes it addresses?
Frank Turner: I feel like I’ve found a way to be a bit more sure about the world as I get older. As a kid, I was sure, but kids usually are. Then you discover the world is complex and full of shades of grey, and you start to understand the importance of seeing the world from different points of view and so on. But recently I’ve found my way back to being more confident in how I see things, and sometimes that manifests as anger. Sometimes that’s personal – rejecting toxic people, refusing to accept certain types of behaviour. Sometimes it’s professional – there are parts of the music industry I want nothing to do with, and practices I find indefensible. And sometimes it’s political – which is a bigger topic, of course.
Frontstage Magazine: „Undefeated“ is your tenth album, an impressive milestone in your career. How do you feel about reaching this anniversary, and what challenges have you overcome along the way?
Frank Turner: I feel pretty good about making it to double figures, that’s a rare thing. I feel lucky and slightly amazed by it as well. There have been challenges along the way – personal (addiction issues and so on), political (the big game hunters on social media have come for me a few times, they missed, but it’s not fun to be on the receiving end of bad faith attacks) and more. In some ways the biggest challenge has been sustaining what I do for this long. Like I say, it’s rare, and I’m quietly proud of it.
Frontstage Magazine: At 42, you’ve described yourself as not being at a „sexy, rock ’n’roll age.“ How has your age influenced your perspective on music and songwriting, particularly on this new album?
Frank Turner: I’d say that I’ve always tried to write honestly, and therefore the age and situation I find myself in will affect my writing. More specifically, I’m not really able (or keen) to write songs about, say, high school anymore. It’d be ridiculous, not to say undignified. A lot of this record is trying to find a way to marry a new-found confidence in my identity (punk) with the fact of being older than the traditions of that identity. I’m figuring it out.
Frontstage Magazine: You mentioned drawing inspiration from songwriters like Loudon Wainwright III and The Hold Steady, who write about growing up. How have you incorporated these influences into the songs on „Undefeated,“ and what message do you hope to convey to listeners?
Frank Turner: I’d say they write honestly about their stage in life rather than growing up, as such. It’s a rarer thing to listen to someone write about being in their 40s than their 20s, but right not the former is more impactful for me, for obvious reasons. Their guide is to free me up to write about, I don’t know, back problems, imposter syndrome, suburban discomfort, whatever. I don’t think of myself as a ‘message’ songwriter. I write songs, I hope people enjoy them and find something in them, I’m not a politician.
Frontstage Magazine: What big and small questions of life does “Undefeated“ address, and why did you choose to tackle these themes on this album?
Frank Turner: It’s a record about getting older, about survival, and maintaining through the less romanticised decades of life. It’s a record about trying to find reconciliation with your teenage, cocksure view of the world. It’s a record about defiance and anger and identity. And there’s a song about DB Cooper.
Frontstage Magazine: Can you tell us a bit about the creative process behind „Undefeated“? How did you strike a balance between youthful candor and navigating the challenges of middle age that you aim for on this album
Frank Turner: I wrote the songs as I always do – in a sacred space which is, I hope, free from external analysis. I don’t want to pull apart the creative process as I’m actually engaged in it. I sit in a quiet room with a guitar and try to make up cool songs, that’s about it really. The rest is for everyone else to dissect.
Fotocredit: Shannon Shumaker
