Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls seemingly never actually sleep. Following Turner’s world record attempt to play the most gigs in different cities in 24 hours, he’s back on the road with the band through July.
Supporting his 10th studio album – Undefeated – released in May, 12 dates are scheduled which began with a set at Glastonbury last weekend, and then gets going in earnest from July 13 at 2000 Trees Festival. Speaking about the upcoming dates, Frank says, “we’re getting closer to the day when ‘Undefeated’ is out in the world. We’ve announced and sold out 14 shows in the UK – all on the same day – so let’s add a few more! I’m bringing the tour, the new album, the Sleeping Souls, and my excellent friends The Meffs, to a string of dates in rooms I know well and love around the UK this July, in between our festival shows.”
Of the album, Frank says,“There are no clichés about the difficult 10th album, so in some ways, that’s a liberating statement. But at the same time, I have a duty to justify writing and releasing a 10th album. That’s a lot of records for anybody. Also, I’m 42. Which is not a sexy, rock’n’roll age. But all through my career, I’ve been interested in writers like Loudon Wainwright III or The Hold Steady, people who write about adulthood, essentially.”
While thematically ‘Undefeated’ is informed by this time in life, sonically it’s full of echoes to influences that Frankhas touched upon at various moments in his kaleidoscopic career. It switches from Black Flag to Counting Crows, from Descendents to The Pogues, via Elvis Costello and Billy Bragg. Its freewheeling nature is reflective not only of his new-found independence, but also of the creative environment he found himself in. As usual, it was entirely written by himself, but this is the first album that he produced himself, recorded in the home studio that he and his wife, Jessica Guise, share on Mersea Island, Essex. It features his live band: Ben Lloyd (guitar), Tarrant Anderson (bass), Callum Green (drums) and Matt Nasir (piano).
Tour dates are below, but as above, tickets are hard to come by, so if you get the chance, grab it with both hands.
28 June – Glastonbury, Avalon Stage
13 July – Cheltenham, 2000 Trees Festival
14 July – Manchester, Academy 2
15 July – Leeds. Brudenell Social Club
16 July – Glasgow, Garage
18 July – Southampton, 1865
19 July – Birmingham, Academy 2
20 July – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
22 July – Cardiff, Tramshed
23 July – Oxford, 02 Academy 2
24 July – Norwich, Epic Studios
26 July – Suffolk, Latitude Festival
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