Frank Turner and Jon Snodgrass Commemorate First ‘Buddies’ Collaboration

One of the UK’s most successful solo artists of the past decade, singer-songwriter Frank Turner has sold more than one million records worldwide and played to over two million people from small venues to a sold-out show at London’s famous Wembley Arena. Winner of the AIM (Association of Independent Music) Award for Hardest Working Artist, and Best Independent Music Festival for his annual four-day event Lost Evenings, he’s just reunited with fellow singer-songwriter Jon Snodgrass, a well-respected figure of the punk and Americana scene.

A member of Armchair Martian, Drag The River and Scorpios as well as a solo artist. Snodgrass has collaborated with Chad Rex, Hagfish, Descendents, Stephen Egerton, Joey Cape, Lagwagon, Bad Astronaut, Cory Branan, Chuck Ragan (Revival Tour and Hot Water Music), Tim McIlirath (Rise Against), Chris Wollard (Hot Water Music and Ship Thieves), Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake), Scott Reynolds (ALL), Mike Herrera (MxPx), Arliss Nancy, and Jimmy Islip.

Ten years ago, the two acclaimed musicians hung out, drank whisky and wrote and recorded an album together called Buddies – a lighthearted hang between friends that became a hit with fans of both artists. Still “buddies,” the two decided to write a follow-up and the duo just released its collaborative new album, Buddies II: Still Buddies.

As with the original album, Buddies II: Still Buddies was written in just one day, although this time, Turner and Snodgrass had to do it over the Internet due to lockdown. With more time on their hands than usual, they were able to flesh out the album, musically, and recruit Stephen Egerton (Descendents/ALL) on drums and Todd Beene (Lucero, Chuck Ragan, Glossary) on pedal steel – for added instrumentation. The result is a “funny, warm and at times poignant album that’s part talk show, part music.”

Touching upon themes such as having children and traveling across the U.S., the two namecheck other songwriter “buddies” like they did on the original LP. The lead single, “Bad Times Good Vibes,” is a rousing folk-punk number.

“Lockdown has been such a blow to the music industry, and such a drag that we were all looking for things to do,” says Turner in a statement. It’s the first album he recorded, mixed and mastered entirely on his own. “Jon and I have been buddies a long time, and I noticed the 10-year anniversary of our collaborative album was coming up. Technology is such that we were able to reprise the writing method remotely, and indeed it turns out we’ve got a lot better at it in the intervening decade. I’m really, really proud of the record.”

Photo courtesy of Xtra Mile Recordings