England Keep My Bones
Encyclopedia
England Keep My Bones is the fourth studio album by London
-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner
, released on June 6, 2011, on Xtra Mile
in the United Kingdom, and on June 7, 2011, on Epitaph Records
worldwide. Preceded by the single, "Peggy Sang the Blues", the album was produced and mixed by Tristan Ivemy, who had previously mixed Love, Ire and Song
, Rock & Roll
and Campfire Punkrock
.
The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare
's play, The Life and Death of King John, with Turner noting, "I knew that the album was, for the most part, about mortality
, and about Englishness
. Shakespeare seemed like a good place to go hunting for some pearls of wisdom, and with a little help from my friend Ben we came across this one, and it just seemed to fit the work really well."
, Turner and his then-untitled backing band recorded Rock & Roll, an EP consisting of tracks written at the same time as Poetry of the Deed alongside new material. Following its release, Turner and the band spent twenty days in January 2011, recording their next studio album with producer Tristan Ivemy. Turner noted, "I guess we worked pretty fast by most measures, but it wasn’t ever rushed, it was a really comfortable recording experience actually. We did an awful lot of pre-production and demoing, so I felt very ready to make the album once the time finally rolled around."
Regarding the album's overall aesthetic, Turner notes, "it's not a radical departure, just maybe a little deeper ploughed into the same furrow," and stated, prior to its release, "I'm very pleased with it, I think I achieved what I set out to do, which was to make a record that falls equally between Love Ire & Song and Poetry of the Deed
. The songs sound very strong to me."
Turner commented on the atheist nature of closing track, "Glory Hallelujah", stating, "I have played many Christian
songs on stage in my time, and have no issue with that; but one time I was singing “May the Circle Be Unbroken
” onstage in Atlanta, with Chuck Ragan
, and it occurred to me that it'd be nice if there was a concomitant atheist song, with the same feel, to put the other side of the argument."
," and further elaborated, "Last time round, I think I was a little excited about having a stable band line-up to take into the studio; also, we worked out all the arrangements in about two weeks of intensive rehearsal. As a result the feel tended towards the rock end of the spectrum and it became a band record – which is fine, but it’s definitely in the side field of what I want to do. This time we were all on tour together pretty much the whole time when I was writing, which meant we had much longer to work on arrangements, plus I was more confident in not using people on some songs, as opposed to just throwing everything on all the time."
describing it as "a fearless venture for an artist with something interesting to say." Paste
placed it at number 50 on their "Top 50 Albums of 2011" list.
" was released as the first single of the album (and the single off of Rock & Roll
EP) on October 28, 2010. This was followed by the song Peggy Sang The Blues, Frank's tribute to his Grandma on May 25, 2011. It was then announced on July 28, 2011 that If Ever I Stray would be released as the albums third single. it is to be backed by b-side Sailor's Boots (Previously known as 'Rod Stewart') and is due for release on August 29, 2011.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner
Frank Turner
Frank Turner 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 four solo albums, two rarities...
, released on June 6, 2011, on Xtra Mile
Xtra Mile Recordings
Xtra Mile Recordings are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 2003 by Charlie Caplowe and they release rock albums and singles...
in the United Kingdom, and on June 7, 2011, on Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
worldwide. Preceded by the single, "Peggy Sang the Blues", the album was produced and mixed by Tristan Ivemy, who had previously mixed Love, Ire and Song
Love, Ire and Song
-Singles:*"Photosynthesis" - March 24, 2008, download only*"Reasons Not to Be an Idiot" - June 23, 2008*"Long Live the Queen" - October 20, 2008, charity single...
, Rock & Roll
Rock & Roll EP
Rock & Roll is an EP by Frank Turner, released on December 6, 2010 on Xtra Mile Recordings. Describing the release as "a taster" for his subsequent studio album, England Keep My Bones, the EP was preceded by the single, "I Still Believe"....
and Campfire Punkrock
Campfire Punkrock
Campfire Punkrock is the first EP by UK based songwriter Frank Turner. The EP was released via Xtra Mile Recordings on May 15, 2006. The vinyl release includes a live version of "The Ballad of Me and My Friends" and is pressed on a sulfur-yellow 10" vinyl. The EP was recorded at the Oxford home of...
.
The album's title is taken from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play, The Life and Death of King John, with Turner noting, "I knew that the album was, for the most part, about mortality
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
, and about Englishness
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Shakespeare seemed like a good place to go hunting for some pearls of wisdom, and with a little help from my friend Ben we came across this one, and it just seemed to fit the work really well."
Background and recording
Amidst extensive touring in support of Poetry of the DeedPoetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed is the third studio album by London-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 7 September 2009. The album was released on Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Epitaph Records worldwide....
, Turner and his then-untitled backing band recorded Rock & Roll, an EP consisting of tracks written at the same time as Poetry of the Deed alongside new material. Following its release, Turner and the band spent twenty days in January 2011, recording their next studio album with producer Tristan Ivemy. Turner noted, "I guess we worked pretty fast by most measures, but it wasn’t ever rushed, it was a really comfortable recording experience actually. We did an awful lot of pre-production and demoing, so I felt very ready to make the album once the time finally rolled around."
Writing and composition
Prior to the album's release, Turner noted that his growing commercial success had influenced his lyrical content, stating, "I could still write songs pretending to be the underdog kid, but it's just not really true anymore." Turner also noted that one of the major themes of the album is that of "English national identity," stating, "it's something that I want to write songs about. I quite, self-consciously, want to make music that sounds English."Regarding the album's overall aesthetic, Turner notes, "it's not a radical departure, just maybe a little deeper ploughed into the same furrow," and stated, prior to its release, "I'm very pleased with it, I think I achieved what I set out to do, which was to make a record that falls equally between Love Ire & Song and Poetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed is the third studio album by London-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 7 September 2009. The album was released on Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Epitaph Records worldwide....
. The songs sound very strong to me."
Turner commented on the atheist nature of closing track, "Glory Hallelujah", stating, "I have played many Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
songs on stage in my time, and have no issue with that; but one time I was singing “May the Circle Be Unbroken
Will the Circle Be Unbroken?
"Will the Circle Be Unbroken?" is a popular Christian hymn written by Ada R. Habershon with music by Charles H. Gabriel. The song is often recorded unattributed.-Lyrics:...
” onstage in Atlanta, with Chuck Ragan
Chuck Ragan
Chuck Ragan is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. From 1993 until 2006 he was one of the lead singers for Gainesville, Florida-based punk rock band Hot Water Music...
, and it occurred to me that it'd be nice if there was a concomitant atheist song, with the same feel, to put the other side of the argument."
The Sleeping Souls
Following the completion of the album, Turner subsequently announced his backing band had named themselves The Sleeping Souls, after a lyric in the track, "I Am Disappeared". Regarding their contributions, Turner noted, "they arrange with me, and there’s a clear distinction. Basically I turn up with songs that are finished to the extent that they have verses, choruses, middle eights, chord progressions and vocals. I generally have some ideas about what I want people to do. People will suggest a guitar or piano line, but I retain power of veto. It’s a dictatorship, rather than a democracy. To be honest, without getting too precious about this, I pay them to be in my band. I don’t want to be in a band, if I did then I'd do that. This is my project." Turner had previously stated, "I made [the album] with my band, but it feels like more of a solo record than Poetry of the DeedPoetry of the Deed
Poetry of the Deed is the third studio album by London-based singer-songwriter Frank Turner, released on 7 September 2009. The album was released on Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Epitaph Records worldwide....
," and further elaborated, "Last time round, I think I was a little excited about having a stable band line-up to take into the studio; also, we worked out all the arrangements in about two weeks of intensive rehearsal. As a result the feel tended towards the rock end of the spectrum and it became a band record – which is fine, but it’s definitely in the side field of what I want to do. This time we were all on tour together pretty much the whole time when I was writing, which meant we had much longer to work on arrangements, plus I was more confident in not using people on some songs, as opposed to just throwing everything on all the time."
Track listing
Editions
- A Standard CD
- A Deluxe CD which included a signed poster for the 1st 1000 copies.
- 12" Vinyl available in green or black
- iTunes LPITunes LPiTunes LP is a format for interactive album artwork introduced by Apple Inc. on the 9 September 2009. It is similar to the CMX format being developed by the 4 major record labels, and operates within the iTunes 9 software, allowing the user to view multimedia elements alongside the music...
Reception
Critical reception to the album has been extremely positive, with NMENME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
describing it as "a fearless venture for an artist with something interesting to say." Paste
Paste (magazine)
Paste is a monthly music and entertainment digital magazine published in the United States by Wolfgang's Vault. Its tagline is "Signs of Life in Music, Film and Culture."-History:...
placed it at number 50 on their "Top 50 Albums of 2011" list.
Singles
"I Still BelieveI Still Believe (Frank Turner Song)
"I Still Believe" is the ninth single by UK based songwriter Frank Turner, and the first of his fourth EP Rock & Roll. It was released on 28 October 2010.The song was also featured on his fourth full-length studio album England Keep My Bones....
" was released as the first single of the album (and the single off of Rock & Roll
Rock & Roll EP
Rock & Roll is an EP by Frank Turner, released on December 6, 2010 on Xtra Mile Recordings. Describing the release as "a taster" for his subsequent studio album, England Keep My Bones, the EP was preceded by the single, "I Still Believe"....
EP) on October 28, 2010. This was followed by the song Peggy Sang The Blues, Frank's tribute to his Grandma on May 25, 2011. It was then announced on July 28, 2011 that If Ever I Stray would be released as the albums third single. it is to be backed by b-side Sailor's Boots (Previously known as 'Rod Stewart') and is due for release on August 29, 2011.
Chart performance
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
12 |
Personnel
- Frank TurnerFrank TurnerFrank Turner 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 four solo albums, two rarities...
– lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica - Ben LloydBen LloydBen Lloyd is a musician and producer / recording engineer based in Oxford, England. He currently plays electric guitar for Frank Turner and is a member of the British rock band Dive Dive. He also recorded and produced Frank Turner's first EP Campfire Punkrock and his first two albums Sleep Is for...
– electric guitar, mandolin, vocals - Tarrant AndersonTarrant AndersonTarrant Anderson is a musician based in Oxford, England. He currently plays bass guitar for Frank Turner and is a member of the British rock band Dive Dive. He was previously a member of the British punk band Dustball...
– bass guitar - Matt NasirMatt NasirMatt Nasir is a multi-instrumental musician based in London, England. He currently plays Keyboards for Frank Turner and is a member of the London based rock band 'The Pressure Room'...
– piano, organ, keyboards, string arrangements, vocals - Nigel PowellNigel PowellNigel Powell is a multi-instrumental musician from Abingdon, England. He currently works as Frank Turner's live and studio drummer and is a member of the Oxford based alternative rock band Dive Dive. He was formerly a member of Unbelievable Truth...
– drums, percussion, mandolin, vocals - Franz NicolayFranz NicolayFranz Nicolay is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010...
- additional vocals on "Wessex Boy", Accordion on "Rivers" - Chris T-TChris T-TChris T-T is an English singer/songwriter based in Brighton. He has released eight studio albums and one live collection. He has also been a piano accompanist; a radio and club DJ; written for a range of publications and currently contributes a regular column on the arts to left-wing newspaper...
- additional vocals on "Rivers"