Sometimes I feel a little geographically incontinent. I’m sat here in Amsterdam, getting ready for the first date of the European tour, and I’m writing blog posts about more shows in the USA (where we just were). The mind boggles. Anyways, we have a whole bunch of shows announced now at the start of next year, in the west with old friends Social Distortion and much of the rest of the country with new friends Dropkick Murphys. Check the dates out here.

Some thoughts on the shows, incidentally. The Sleeping Souls will be on all of them. Contrary to what was announced in some places, we will not be playing in Milwaukee or Toronto with the Dropkicks. Sorry about that, but it’s just the way it worked out. The good news is that there are a bunch more shows to be added to the run, both extra shows with those bands and headline shows of our own on days off, so keep your eyes peeled. I also have extensive Canadian plans for next year as well.

Looking closer to home, I’m pleased to say that my buddy and photographer Greg Nolan will be joining us in Europe and the UK. He’s documenting the tour, and I want him to get more involved with people at the shows! So, he’ll be filming interviews in the queue before the show, and in the crowd during and afterwards. The pictures will be posted on my Facebook page, and you should also follow Greg’s Twitter feed for updates on his whereabouts. Get involved!

Finally, for the UK, as many of you will know, we have the wonderful Emily Barker & The Red Clay Halo opening the shows. You should get down early and check them out, here’s a taster!

I spent last night at the first AIM Independent Music Awards ceremony in London. I’d been invited to play (which I did with a stripped down Sleeping Souls, Matt and Nigel). I’d been tipped off that I was going to win the award for Hardest Working Musician, which is very flattering, not least because I came in ahead of Beardyman and Random Hand. I was also nominated for the live category, but assumed that I wasn’t going to get it because no one had said anything.

So I was genuinely pretty surprised when my name came up for my second award, Best Live Act. It’s one hell of an accolade. And it was also decided by a popular vote. So I need to say thanks to everyone who voted, whilst also pointing out again that I do what I do (both working hard and playing live) with the help of the Sleeping Souls. So, thanks everyone. This morning I had a horrible hangover. Result.

In a development that has slightly blown my mind and left me checking diaries, asking random strangers who the president is and so on, it seems like the time has rolled around for the Second Three Years. With the good folks at Xtra Mile Recordings, I’ve put together a 23-track collection of songs that didn’t make the last two albums, including unreleased songs, reworkings and covers. The details are here. For the time being there are no vinyl plans (this may change). Enjoy.

The US and Canadian tour is done, which is weird and sad in some ways, but the tour was absolutely awesome from top to bottom, so I have nothing to complain about. Thanks again, as ever, to the Sleeping Souls, my crew, Into It Over It and Andrew Jackson Jihad for an amazing time, and for everyone who came out to the shows.

Also, my friend Jon Spira (who made the video for “Photosynthesis“) has made an amazing documentary film about the history of the Oxford music scene, which includes cameos from Nigel Powell and Jamie Stuart (of Dive Dive). You can (and should) find out more here: http://www.acpgthemovie.com.

Just a quick one; on Thursday, the day of our second sold out Bowery Ballroom show, I’ll be playing an instore show (solo) at the wonderful Generation Records at 6pm. It’s free, but you will need to get a ticket from their website to attend. See you there.

So we recently played on the Jimmy Kimmel show in Los Angeles, and it aired last night. It seems to be a pretty big deal over here, which is nice, and Mr Kimmel seemed like a good guy. Fun times. Here’s some videos!

It’s been ages since I posted an update, apologies for that. But then I suppose the good news is that I have loads to say. Well, “good news”, I guess that depends on your point of view. How about I just shut up and get on with it?

We have torn up the west coast of this continent and then driven through the wilds of northwestern Canada, via Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg and more. The night before last we made our way back to the USA, via a border crossing that went smoothly (apart from the bit where they confiscated all our lemons; the humanity!), and right now I’m on a day off in Milwaukee, recovering from a great night in the legendary Triple Rock in Minneapolis. The shows have been great, everything is running smoothly, and it’s almost a shame to note that the end of this tour is looming.

Speaking of this tour, lots of shows have been sold out, which is lovely. Looking forwards, the last 3 shows are all gone, and many of the others are close. A word to the wise – if you’re planning on driving a long way to one of these gigs, get your tickets before you set out because a lot of them are selling out on the day. Also, if you’re anywhere near Quebec city, please have a look at this and get involved!

Turning our gaze to the UK and Europe, there have been some shows selling out there too – London, Manchester and Birmingham are gone, the others (especially Glasgow) are getting very close. The Hannover show has now moved to a different (bigger) venue, Faust, all original tickets still valid. Other shows are selling like hot cakes! I’m also pleased to announce that, for the mainland European dates, good friends and Xtra Mile buddies The Xcerts will be opening all the shows. Check em out.

Finally, on the subject of shows, the tickets for Wembley (still can’t quite believe I’m writing that) have been selling really fast as well. We’ve set up an application now on Facebook which means you can buy them direct there. The app is here. We’ll be announcing details of the other acts playing as soon as we can, sit tight people!

Next up… I recently produced my good friend Jay’s new record, a.k.a. Beans On Toast. Producing was a first for me and I had a blast, I’m actually really proud of the record in a weird way. It’s coming out through Xtra Mile on December 1st, but Jay has started making and posting some (awesome) videos for the songs. Here’s Blowjob For The Blues.

Finally, the video for the next single, “Wessex Boy”, is finally here. Check it out!

Well, here it is. 13th April 2012, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls, live at Wembley Arena, London, England. More details on the line-up (it’ll be an all-dayer type affair) and tickets and all the rest coming soon.

Also, 21st November will see the release of “The Second Three Years“, complete with 22 tracks which are not on recent albums (covers, rarities, live material and the rest). And on 28th November, we’ll be releasing “Wessex Boy” as a single, details coming soon.

That’s enough big news for today. I’m slightly dazed by it all, but happy. See you all soon.

I’ve been fighting a cold for the last few days of this US tour, and it seems like, despite my best efforts, I’ve lost. The show in Denver last night was off the scale in terms of the awesome crowd, but there’s no disguising the fact that my voice totally collapsed in on itself under a torrent of coughing and snot. So it is, with a heavy heart, that I have to announce that we’re pulling tonight’s show in Albuquerque.

The good guys in Andrew Jackson Jihad and Into It Over It will still be playing a show at the Launchpad, it’ll be $5 on the door. Ticket holders for the original show will be refunded. I will do everything in my power to make it back here again as soon as possible for a make-up show. I now have two days to get my pathetic body back in shape for the Phoenix show; all other shows on the tour are good to go as planned.

I don’t want to wallow too publicly in my self-pity here, but there really are few words to adequately describe how fucking useless I feel when this kind of thing happens. I feel like an appendix, fit to be cut out and discarded. My deepest apologies to anyone disappointed, I’ll make it up to you.

Hello from Austin TX. Since my youthful indiscretion of writing silly songs about Texas before I knew anything about the place (see “Nashville Tennessee”), and since getting my Texas tattoo at SXSW a few years back, I’ve grown to love this place. A lot. Like, if I was going to move to this country (which I well might some day) I’d move to Austin. It’s sad we’re only here for the one day. So: time to make it count!

In other news (and hence this blog post), the powers that be have decided that the song “Wessex Boy” is going to be a single at the end of this year. That’s great news, I love the song, and it’s about my hometown, Winchester. One problem though: we’re not actually going to be in Winchester between now and the end of the year, which makes shooting a video there impossible. And yet, a video for that song which doesn’t feature the city would be, well, just  bit odd.

So! As per usual, a slightly last-minute, frantic but fun plan has come together. It so happens that Winchester is one of the few cities (if not the only one… any legal experts reading this?) where you can busk without a license, thanks to an ancient byelaw. My good friend Mr Ben Morse, who has made plenty of videos for me before, is going to be putting together a busking expedition in the old city next Sunday, 9th October. If you’re the kind of person who busks, who has an acoustic guitar and sings, and who generally likes to get stuck in to things in life, then please do get in touch by emailing this address: wessexboyvideo@gmail.com. Ben asked if you can send your full name and a pic of yourself to that email, and he’ll get the rest sorted out, send you the chords to the song, and all other details, and so on.

As per usual, many thanks for your help in all things, friends.

I write from the tour bus, which is currently parked out the back of The Social in Orlando, Florida, USA. The North American tour is in full swing. We’ve had awesome shows from Connecticut to West Columbia and everywhere in between; most gigs have been sold out. The guys in Andrew Jackson Jihad and IntoItOverIt are tearing it up every night onstage and being thoroughly lovely off it. It feels great to be back in the USA again, I have an awful lot of love for this country. OK I’ll admit it, I missed Denny’s.

Speaking of shows, there’s some good news (for me at least) of sold out venues to report. Vancouver has gone, tonight has gone, and many of the upcoming shows are getting close, so buying tickets now is probably a good idea. Looking further afield, the show in Amsterdam in November has sold out, while both London and Birmingham are days away from joining Manchester in the no-tickets-left aisle. Good times.

Not masses more to report for now, other than the fact that my boys the Sleeping Souls now have their own twitter feed, on which they are posting an alternative view of the tour shennanigans. Right, I’m off to Park Ave CDs for an instore!