Frank Turner Addresses Mental Health Struggles in ‘Haven’t Been Doing So Well,’ Announces Aggressive New Album

Frank Turner has expanded his musical palette over the last couple of albums, but he's ready to rock harder, inspired after a year of self-reflection amidst the pandemic. The singer has just announced his latest album, FTHC, and is giving fans another taste today with the new song, "Haven't Been Doing That Well."

Turner says of the track, “It’s been a difficult time for a lot of people and their mental health, myself included, and discussing that openly is important to me, so this is a song about anxiety and the struggles that come with that.”

The vocalist has found plenty of inspiration brought about by the past year, previously dropping the hard hitting song "The Gathering" that shares the elation he'll feel upon returning to the stage and being able to play for full crowds again.

Turner recorded FTHC at Abbey Recording Studios just outside Oxford with producer Rich Costey. As was previously revealed, the album does include some guest musicians with Muse's Dom Howard and Jason Isbell previously queuing up to help rock out on "The Gathering."

Speaking about the new album in a trailer posted below, Turner says, "I think it's going to surprise some people. There's just a kind of like attitude and a dirtiness and a noise to it. I think that after doing kind of a record that explored more electronic music and then sort of like a history folk record, I think it's really gonna like re-state my purpose as an artist and blow some cobwebs away."

He adds,"There's a lot of material on this record where I really just decided to take the gloves off in terms of talking about personal issues and to not allow myself to censor myself and to just say the most direct and raw thing that I can. You know there are some statements in songs that make me wince a little bit in a way that I feel is quite real. I wanted this to not just be a sonically aggressive record but a record that was built to play live."

FTHC is set to arrive Feb. 11 and pre-orders in a variety of options can be found at Turner's website. In addition, Turner has just added on with European dates in 2022 following his fall 2021 U.S. tour run. Stay up to date on his touring here.

Get a closer look at the lyrics for "Haven't Been Doing Well" below as well as checking out the official visualizer, the FTHC album trailer and the album's artwork and track listing.

Frank Turner, "Haven't Been Doing So Well" Lyrics (per Genius.com)

It's a day with a 'Y' in it so obviously I'm over it
I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired
And I'm trying not to worry
And I've tried being sorry
For being born in the wrong place and wrong time

'Cause I've been messed up, stressed out, talking to myself again
Locked up, left out, terrified of everything
Wound up, found out, waiting around for something to give

Don't you ever wake up and suspect
That you were simply never cut out to be
The kind of person they expect
The person you intеnded to be?
And I keep it all in with my idiot grin
And I'm doing my best but thеre's very little left
So cut me some slack as I crawl back into my shell
I haven't been doing so well
I haven't been doing so well

I got a brand new name for an old, old friend
The doctor said it's anxiety
And it makes a lot of sense
'Cause I've been so tense
Some days I find it difficult to see

'Cause I've been hemmed in, penned out, struggling to find myself
Caved in, cut down, scared of everybody else
Dragged in, dragged out, searching for a reason to live

Don't you ever wake up and suspect
That you were simply never cut out to be
The kind of person they expect
The person you intended to be?
And I keep it all in with my idiot grin
And I'm doing my best but there's very little left
So cut me some slack as I crawl back into my shell
I haven't been doing so well
Can you tell?

And if self-loathing was a sport I'd be Muhammad Ali
'Cause I can sting like a butterfly and sink like a bee
But they don't hand out medals to monsters like me
Oh well
I haven't been doing so well

Maybe I can do with some help
I haven't been doing so well
Maybe I can do with some help

'Cause every day I wake up and suspect
That I was simply never cut out to be
The kind of person they expect
The person I intended to be
'Cause I'm not Joe Strummer, not Muhammad Ali
Not a teacher, not a builder
Just uncomfortable me
Oh maybe, just maybe, I'll admit that I could use a little help
I haven't been doing so well

Frank Turner, "Haven't Been Doing So Well"

Frank Turner, FTHC Album Trailer

Frank Turner, FTHC Album Artwork + Track Listing

1. Non Serviam
2. The Gathering
3. Haven't Been Doing So Well
4. Untainted Love
5. Fatherless
6. My Bad
7. Miranda
8. A Wave Across A Bay
9. The Resurrectionists
10. Punches
11. Perfect Score
12. The Work