Frank Turner’s 10th album is a return to his punk roots
Frank Turner has been an artistic nomad over the past decade, boldly exploring new sonic realms with each album cycle. But with his latest offering ‘Undefeated,’ the English singer-songwriter finds himself circling back to the raw, frenetic punk energy that first propelled his career.
Released on May 3rd, the highly anticipated tenth album ‘Undefeated’ sees Turner embracing his contrarian persona, tackling weighty topics like the pandemic’s lasting impact, and grappling with the idealistic rage of his 15-year-old self on the introspective Ceasefire. “That song is kind of the last surviving vestige, the appendix, the coccyx, if you like, of what might once have been a concept album – I think we’re all quite glad I did make a concept album, because, Jesus Christ.” He chuckles.
“My anxiety often manifests in me lying awake, trying to get to sleep at night, having arguments in my mind with someone. My wife (a psychotherapist) asked the perceptive question, “Who is it that you think that you’re arguing with?”.” Frank’s response? “It’s a sort of hypothetical, younger version of myself. And, you know, when I was 15, the world was black and white and I knew all the answers, because I was 15, and I was pissed off and my ideals were box fresh, you know, still wrapped in the cellophane. And I was very angry. I got sent away by my parents when I was eight years old. I discovered punk when I was like 12, 13, which was useful to me. But like, that kid was very cocksure and headstrong. But also, hurt would be the word, I think. I’m a 42-year-old man now, and I kind of want to give him a hug a little bit; I want to justify myself to him a little bit, you know, but also tell him it’s OK. I mean, the best example of this is, and I’m going to blow my own trumpet for two seconds here, but we got a number one on my last album and me in my 40s was stoked about this and worked very hard to make it happen and was very happy that it did happen.”
“But when I was 15, almost my entire self-definition was I was the kind of person who didn’t know or care about bands who were in the charts, you know. And so it was 15-year-old me was like, well, fuck you, dude, like sell out or something. Do you know what I mean? And it’s just at a certain point that’s just not healthy, you know what I mean? So trying to find that, as the song says, trying to find some kind of common ground, somewhere to kind of make peace would be psychologically useful for me.”
The seeds of ‘Undefeated’ were planted during lockdowns, when Turner immersed himself in music production, collaborating with a new generation of vibrant punk acts. “You know, and I’ve been sat on the other side of the glass for the last three years listening to a bunch of 22-year-olds who are full of piss and vinegar making their first record or whatever,” he said. That jolt of youthful vitality helped shape Undefeated’s eclectic, punk-tinged sound, which Turner self-produced for the first time. “I know what it sounds like in my mind. And I don’t need external assistance in making that happen.”
While the silky smooth bassline of “Letters” became an instant fan favourite, tracks like “Pandemic PTSD” see Turner confronting our “new normal” unflinchingly. “There’s just a real sense of everyone went, well, that’s that news item dealt with, next,” he stated of society’s collective amnesia.
“But it’s like, so much damage was done in 2020 and 2021 and 2022 as well, that like, there’s a part of me that’s just like, hey, like, hold on. Like, what the f*ck, man?” He continues emphatically – “I feel like there’s two entire years of kids who didn’t get into the habit of going to small shows, and I want to kind of grab them and be like, Fuck TikTok and fuck paying 300 bucks to go and see a pop-star miming from half a mile away! You could go to a sticky-floored venue that’s 200m down the street and pay 10 bucks to see somebody melt your face and sweat on you and it’d be amazing. So, there’s all this stuff to talk about, but yeah, it just sort of seemed slightly contrarian.”
“And for my sins, I have a contrarian streak. But it was just kind of like, now I want to talk about it, do you know what I mean? It’s like, this is not a small thing, and this isn’t going away. Like we need to discuss this.
To promote the fiery ‘Undefeated,’ Turner pulled off an ambitious feat – playing 24 shows in 24 hours across independent music venues in the UK. “It’s a promotional act,” he explained. “I’m keen to stress that every venue I’m playing is an independent music venue that’s sponsored by the Music Venue Trust and every show is being ticketed by an independent local record store. And, for most of the shows, we have unsigned independent artists playing before me. So there’s some community building going on, but yeah, if I survive, I will see you in Australia the next time we come through, which I’m not allowed to talk about, but is imminent.”
“I didn’t really think about the mechanics of it all that hard until [a couple of days prior],” he admitted with a laugh. “And then I was just like, oh, f*ck, what am I doing?”
“I knew there was going to be a moment at about 4 a.m. where I start trying to find someone to blame for what I’m doing. My crew have already very emphatically reminded me that this was my idea and I can’t fucking shout at anybody else about it.” Laughs Turner.
Such madcap ideas are quintessential Frank Turner – an artist always eager to take the road less traveled and defy expectations, powered by that uncompromising punk spirit that first inspired him decades ago.
With ‘Undefeated,’ Turner has circled back to his roots, delivering a powerful return to form that’s equal parts frenetic energy and thoughtful introspection.
Listen, stream, buy, view, and feel Undefeated HERE.