This month The Vibe went back to talk to an old friend who has stumbled across some well deserved coverage and recognition over the last year or so.

Frank Turner has a unique and hugely effective sound, he plays “folk rock”, but in reality still clings on to the punk rock upbringing in his songs, which he then lays a big fat load of great lyrics that make you think, make you laugh and probably upset quite a few people along the way.

He’s controversial in quite a few ways, not least his ability to sport a handlebar moustache and a cowboy hat when coming from Bahrain originally. Feel free to put me right if there are in fact quite a lot of Bahrainian cowboys in a dodgy 70s Western style, but to my knowledge he’s the only one.

We caught up with Frank and asked him a few questions before he headed off for his headline US tour and play a few high-profile shows at South By South West (The famous festival in Austin Texas).

So Frank, how have the last 12 months been since we caught up with you in Fibbers changing room?

I got told that their changing room is way bigger now. (Yes, it is.) It’s been a great last year or so, I’ve been really busy playing shows and releasing the album and a few singles. It’s gone really quickly and I can’t wait for more this year.

You mentioned that you’ve released your album Love, Ire And Song, how has that been received?

It’s been received really well, all of my releases have so far, but this one has been on a much bigger scale. I can’t complain at all. The singles have done really well as well, and hopefully there’s a few more to.

Last time we spoke, you said that you were still getting some people shouting out for you to play Million Dead [Frank’s old band] songs which made you pretty annoyed. Do you think that people are respecting you more as a solo artist now?

To be honest I think, or I’d like to think that they always have respected me as a solo artist. I’m not stupid, I know at first a few people were coming down to the shows because they’d seen me in Million Dead, but I’ve always just got my head down and writing my songs and hopefully I’ve won those people over, and a lot more as well. If people want to shout stuff at me, that’s their prerogative, but I can say that I’ve not had any of that really on the last tour. I’d say that the biggest evidence you can have of how people are receiving you and your music is at your shows, and the shows on the last tour were just amazing. Almost every venue was packed, and people were going crazy, jumping around, singing and just having a good time. It was great to see, and it was an amazing feeling knowing that my music had created that.

I read on your blog that you have been regarded by some people as a “protest singer” because of some of your song lyrics, do you consider yourself to be one?

Not at all, in fact I am anything but. Basically, as it said in my blog, I wrote a song about Margaret Thatcher ages and ages ago. It went out on my first album and for some reason some left-wing groups decided, without me even knowing, that I was a “protest singer” and was essentially their public voice. I am not, I never will be, never had been and have no desire to be associated with them or anyone else. I’ve talked a lot about this, but when it comes down to it, I am a songwriter and that is that. If people like or dislike my songs that is up to them, but I don’t want to be nailed to someone’s ideal when I haven’t asked to be, and don’t aim to be.

You’ve recently had a lot of coverage in the music press and radio, have you switched on your radio and heard any of your songs yet?

It’s been pretty weird really. I’ve done a lot of interviews and had a lot of play on Radio 1. Huw Stephens and Zane Lowe both played a lot of my stuff, and then after that a few of the more mainstream shows started giving me air play, like Sara Cox. To be honest, I have heard myself a few times, so it’s not so weird. It was really strange at first though.

So, you’re heading over to America for a tour, where are you going and what are you looking forward to most?

I’ve got a few dates at South By South West coming up which will be great and I’ve got quite a few friends playing at the festival too – so it’ll be great to catch up with them. As far as the main tour, it’s not a huge one this time, but there’s 11 shows I think. What am I most looking forward to? As I said, seeing some friends at South By South West and then, just meeting some nice Americans. The country is quite boring because it’s just big a shiny or big and empty, but it’s always nice to go out and play there.

What can you tell us about your third album?

Ah, now, I could tell you a lot, am I going to? Nope. I’d love to be able to, and there is a lot to tell, but I can’t just yet. Oh, its coming out around October and it’s going to be a masterpiece (Frank has a wry grin on his face).

Finally, what have you got coming up in the next few months to look out for?

Well, I’m over in the States for a bit, then back to finish the album, then hopefully a few festivals and then I’ve got a big UK and Ireland tour ready, so check out my Myspace for the dates.

* You can get the dates on Frank’s myspace, and also listen to his stuff for free, and watch his videos too.

Franks Myspace: Myspace.com/FrankTurner