Frank Turner

Francis Edward Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English punk and folk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Hampshire. He began his career as the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, then embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band's split in 2005. In the studio and during live performances, Turner is accompanied by his backing band, The Sleeping Souls, which consists of Ben Lloyd (guitar, mandolin), Tarrant Anderson (bass), Matt Nasir (piano, mandolin) and Callum Green (drums).

To date, Turner has released ten solo albums, four rarities compilation albums, one retrospective "best of" album, one split album and five EPs. Turner's ninth studio album, FTHC was released on 11 February 2022 and reached number 1 in the UK albums chart in the week following its release.

Turner was born to Jane Cartwright, a primary school head teacher, and Miranda Turner, an investment banker, who came out as a trans woman in 2015. Upon returning to England, the family settled first in Winchester before moving to Meonstoke. His maternal grandfather is Richard Fox Cartwright (1913–2009), Bishop of Plymouth. Through Miranda, his grandparents are Sir (Ronald) Mark (Cunliffe) Turner (1906–1980), a merchant banker who was also the chairman of high street retailer BHS, and Margaret, daughter of Sir Hereward Wake, 13th Baronet.

As a child, Turner played the piano, before teaching himself to play the guitar at the age of 11. He discovered his love for music through seeing an Iron Maiden poster on his friend's bedroom wall whilst playing Warhammer, and he convinced his parents to buy him a copy of the album Killers and later a guitar. Turner was educated at Summer Fields^{[citation needed]} and subsequently on a scholarship at Eton College, where he studied alongside Prince William. He has since described his experiences of being at boarding school as traumatic, having led to periods of self-harm and suicidal ideation.

The first record Turner owned was the album Killers by Iron Maiden. Metal was the first genre of music he fell in love with, and he remains a passionate fan. Turner's musical career began at school, with the short-lived alternative band Kneejerk. The band released three records and played several shows around the UK. The last record, their only full-length, was titled The Half-Life of Kissing and was released by Yorkshire DIY hardcore label Sakari Empire after the band had broken up.

In 2001, Turner joined London post-hardcore band Million Dead at the invitation of former Kneejerk drummer Ben Dawson. In 2005, after four years and two albums, the band announced that they were parting ways, for "irreconcilable differences within the band mean that it would be impossible to continue." Around that time, Turner got a tape with Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska on it; he later said "That was a really big moment for me hearing that record in terms of a turn around in my music career, from hardcore punk bands to what I'm doing now."

Turner's first solo shows took place prior to the break-up of Million Dead, with a set at the Smalltown America all-dayer at 93 Feet East in London. After the band's split, Turner felt that "it seemed like the logical thing to do to try my hand at playing these songs more publicly and more concertedly than before". Turner states that "when Million Dead finished, I wanted to stay on tour, but I didn't want the hassle of putting a band together."

After a split EP with rock band Reuben, Turner's first solo EP, Campfire Punkrock, was released in May 2006 on Xtra Mile Recordings, with him being recorded and backed by Oxford band Dive Dive whom he had met while out on tour with Reuben. Band members Tarrant Anderson, Ben Lloyd and Nigel Powell would become his backing band from this point on, with most of his subsequent UK headline tours being full band shows.