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Frank Turner: A Punk Poet With A Confessional Streak

Frank Turner's new album is <em>Tape Deck Heart</em>.
Brantley Gutierrez
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Courtesy of the artist
Frank Turner's new album is Tape Deck Heart.

In a review for his last album, NME magazine described British singer-songwriter Frank Turner as "the people's prince of punk poetry." But Turner's lyrics can be quite personal as well. He's got a new album, released this spring, called Tape Deck Heart — and the lead single, "Recovery," is about as confessional as they come.

"I write autobiographically," Turner says. "I've tried writing fiction in songs and I'm rubbish at it; I find it very difficult to find anything meaningful to say if I'm making it up. ['Recovery' is] a song about being at the bottom of the barrel and trying to kind of get out of there, somehow."

On a visit to NPR's Washington D.C. office that also included an acoustic Tiny Desk Concert, Frank Turner spoke with Weekend Edition Sunday host Rachel Martin about his music, performing at the London Olympics and attending the same school as Prince William. Click the audio link to hear more of their conversation.

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