Frank Turner

Frank Turner is much more than Britain’s latest singer-songwriter with a guitar. Ed Sheeran, he isn’t. You’d have to look to, say, Billy Bragg to get a little closer. But Turner defies easy description.

While his name may not be immediately familiar to American audiences, Tape Deck Heart – and its breakout single, “Recovery,” – is Turner’s fifth full-length album as a solo artist.

Photo: John Davisson

He started his career with English post-hardcore band Million Dead before striking out on his own and moving from clubs to arenas in the U.K. and Europe. He’s been trekking the U.S. since a South By Southwest debut in 2007, and most recently wowed audiences at Coachella, where he recently made his second appearance.

Agent Nick Storch at ICM Partners was introduced to Turner by a friend, and says he can talk about his client “for hours.”

“I’ve traveled to Europe to see him many times, and he’s such a dynamic performer,” Storch told Pollstar. “He can take a band out with him, or perform solo and just command his audience. He believes in being an inclusive artist – his audience is part of the experience. When people see him once, they come back time and again.”

After his initial SXSW appearance, Turner opened for artists including Gaslight Anthem, The Offspring, Dropkick Murphys, Social Distortion, and Flogging Molly – the latter on a lengthy 2010 tour of the States.

Photo: John Davisson

If further proof of Turner’s upward trajectory was needed, it came at a Feb. 12 near-sellout at London’s The O2 arena – with Flogging Molly opening for him. But despite the bigger venues, and more demands on his time, Turner remains accessible to the fans who got him there.

“Frank responds to fan emails personally; he’s not going to be one of those artists who shuts himself away. He couldn’t,” Storch said. “It’s very much a personal relationship, even though he’s playing arenas back home instead of the little clubs he started in. That hasn’t changed.”

With his rousing performance at Coachella in the books, Turner continues touring with his band, The Sleeping Souls, performing at festivals over the summer and some headline dates at venues including Red Rocks Amphitheatre and the 9:30 Club