SONG OF THE DAY

“I Still Believe” by Frank Turner (Rock & Roll, self-released EP, 2010). The song will also appear on his next album, due out in 2011.

WHERE I HEARD IT/ CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE

This song was featured on yesterday’s blog entry by WNHU Radio’s Kristen Bayusik in her playlist for this week, but it was so awesome and catchy that it deserved its own dedicated song of the day. Thanks, Kristen, for turning me onto Frank Turner and this new classic! It has just that perfect sound of peppiness, quality vocals and great lyrics that I am sure I’ll be loving this track for years to come!

INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)

– Frank Turner (born 28 December 1981) is an English folk/punk singer-songwriter from Meonstoke, Winchester.

– Initially the vocalist of post-hardcore band Million Dead, Turner embarked upon a primarily acoustic-based solo career following the band’s split in 2005.

– To date, Turner has released three solo albums, a rarities compilation album and four EPs.

– Turner was born in Muharraq, Bahrain, and grew up in Meonstoke, just outside Winchester, England. Turner attended Eton where he was educated alongside Prince William, and later went on to attend the London School of Economics where he studied History.

– His father Roger Turner, is the son of Sir Mark Turner, formerly chairman of high street retailer Bhs, and had himself also attended Eton before becoming a City investment banker, while his mother, Jane, the daughter of a bishop, is a primary school headmistress.

– Turner’s musical career began at school, with the short-lived alternative band Kneejerk. The band self-released three albums and played several shows around the UK (including a support slot for Boysetsfire), before disbanding in November 2001.

– 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, as “irreconcilable differences within the band mean that it would be impossible to continue.”

– 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.”

– During summer 2008, Turner made several festival appearances, including sets at Y Not Festival, Two Thousand Trees Festival, the Cambridge Folk Festival, Truck, Glastonbury, Jam By The Lake (in Durham) and the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

– Turner was announced as the support act on The Offspring’s Summer tour, during which he documented his travels with a blog on British music website NME. Regarding the support slot, Turner stated: “Smash was one of the first punk records I ever bought, and I’m blown away to even be considered for the shows. From a “career” point of view, it’s also great – playing to many thousands of people a night across the States is an opportunity not to be sniffed at.”

– In early 2010, Turner accompanied Flogging Molly and the The Architects on the 2010 Green 17 Tour, and announced via his Twitter that he was working on new songs.

– In June, he supported Green Day on their stadium shows.

– He is currently touring in support of Social Distortion 2010.

– On July 19, 2010, Turner headlined at the Two Thousand Trees Festival. He played at many festivals throughout the summer playing his new song “I Still Believe”, which he has just released as a single. The EP was released on December 6th.

– Turner also contributed one song, a cover of “Build Me Up Buttercup”, to Centrepoint’s 2010 Charity cover album 1969 Key to Change.

– Turner’s next album, which will feature “I Still Believe” but no other songs from the Rock & Roll EP, is to be released early in 2011.

VIDEO OF THE DAY