Every time English rocker Frank Turner releases an album, his profile grows a little larger in the United States. Tape Deck Heart, Turner's fifth release as a solo artist, will hit stores April 22. Though his songs often talk of a more analog world, Turner has remained a strong presence on the Web in the last several years. For years he has kept an updated blog and tour diary on his website, and is very active on Twitter.
iTech Post recently spoke with Turner about how an artist can use social media and tech to further his brand:
ITP: Why did you first get on Twitter and what were your initial thoughts?
Turner: I got onto Twitter to use it as a promotional thing for my music, initially. I was a little skeptical at first, it seems like quite a frivolous medium, I mean, 140 characters? Come on! That said, there are many interesting and powerful things about it as a tool that I've come to realize, as time has gone by.
ITP: You often use your Twitter page as a medium for fans to sell or give away tickets; why do that?
Turner: I just think it's best for tickets to go to good homes rather than get scalped or thrown away or whatever, and if I can help out, well, cool.
ITP: Can you speak to some of the positive and negative interactions you have encountered on social media?
Turner: The good thing about social media, and it is a great thing, is the potential for breaking down the barrier between me and my audience, smashing the pedestals or whatever — it's iconoclastic, which I really like. The bad sides, well, they're legion too, unfortunately. The disposable and sort-of-anonymous nature of it gives people rein to be pretty unpleasant, and the mob character of Twitter in particular highlights the nastier side of human nature.
ITP: Is it still possible to rely on word of mouth or is an active online presence a necessity for an artist?
Turner: I'm wary of telling anyone else how to run their career, but in this day and age it seems to me like you have to maintain some kind of online presence, yes.
ITP: Should all artists get on Twitter and engage with fans?
Turner: I think it's entirely up to them. I can't imagine Lou Reed on Twitter, haha.
ITP: What do you think the future will hold for artists using social media to expand their brand?
Turner: I think it's still pretty wild west with the Internet in general right now. It's interesting to see the new stuff that comes out. I mean, right now people are trying to get me to use Vine, which seems useless to me at the moment, but then I thought that about Twitter at one point as well, so you never know.
