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Try This At Home: Adventures in songwriting

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Try This At Home: Adventures in songwriting

By: Frank Turner
Narrated by: Frank Turner
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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The brand new memoir from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Road Beneath My Feet.

Taking 36 songs from his back catalogue, folk-punk icon Frank Turner explores his songwriting process. Find out the stories behind the songs forged in the hedonistic years of the mid-2000s North London scene, the ones perfected in Nashville studios, and everything in between. Some of these songs arrive fully-formed, as if they've always been there, some take graft and endless reworking to find 'the one'. In exploring them all, Turner reflects with eloquence, insight and self-deprecating wit on exactly what it is to be a songwriter.

From love songs and break-up songs to political calls-to-arms; songs composed alone in a hotel room or in soundcheck with the Sleeping Souls, this brilliantly written memoir is a must-have book for FT fans and anyone curious about how to write music.

(P)2019 Headline Publishing Group Ltd©2019 Frank Turner Music
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I was talked into attending one of Franks gigs nearly 2 years ago, having never heard any of his music nor really knowing anything about him.
It was an incredible experience, so much so that I immediately bought his last three releases on vinyl with the intention of working back through the catalogue. Something seems to have held me back, however. I suspect that I somehow believed that music was of its time, and trying to get to know an artist just too late for it to feel contemporary and not far enough to feel like classics was the cause.
Having now listened to the book, I now feel like I can engage with the back catalogue knowing at least what was in his mind at the time. My plan now is to re-listen to each chapter and the associated track over time. I do think that they missed a trick in not taking advantage of the audiobook format, including snippets if not the full track in each case. But your streaming service of choice can take care of this.
I would also note that the author has a separate Korea waiting for him as an audiobook narrator.

Read this at home

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If you're a fan of the music and the man, you'll enjoy it. I do, so I did.

If you're a fan of the music and the man

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Being a huge fan of his music really helps get the best out of this book. A great listen but some songs really get the short stick in terms of detail and depth.

Frank really sells the emotion.

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First time I have listened to Frank Turner narrating his book, most impressed. Well done!

I loved listening to Try This At Home

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I'm a huge fan of Frank Turner already and read his first book several times. And now I've 'read' this, his second book, twice already in the first 2 weeks of its release. It's a fascinating insight into his music and the way his writing methods have developed over the years. I'll definitely be reading this again.

Love this book

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