FEATURE:
No Man’s Land?
IN THIS PHOTO: Frank Turner/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Is Frank Turner’s Latest Album Mansplaining or a Progressive Step?
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THERE is always a danger when a male artist...
puts himself in a woman’s shoes. By that, in musical terms, it can be seen as mansplaining and patronising if they take the mantle of truth-teller and activist; to tell the story of women and, to be fair, many ask why men need to do that. I write a lot about gender equality and issues but, at no point, do I assume to know what a woman feels and what the reality is. I try to portray facts and call for change but, even when I am writing about something like festivals being too male-heavy, a part of me asks whether I am the right person to do it and whether I am crossing a line. Of course, it is important each gender discusses sexism and raises awareness but getting the tone right is important. If I was to write in a very simple and condescended way then that might be wrong: similarly, if I was too factual or detached then it might seem cold and meaningless. I do think we all need to raise awareness regarding women in music and not just stop at the current crop. So many idols and icons are being overlooked or their contributions forgotten. One artist who is keen to document the important contribution of some of history’s most important women in Frank Turner. On his new album, No Man’s Land, he has written thirteen songs for women who warrant greater acclaim.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Whilst the sentiment is admirable, some quarters have accused Turner of mansplaining or being a bit ‘flexible’ regarding facts and the real truth. This BBC article explains further:
“Called No Man's Land, it unleashes his "inner history nerd", collecting the stories of 13 women who don't always get their dues, from rock 'n' roll pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe to dancer-turned-spy Mata Hari.
"The interesting thing is, you can't just put a name on a piece of paper and go, 'Write a song about her'. There has to be a hook," he explains.
"So, for example, I am fascinated by the story of Amelia Earhart - she was gay, she was the first woman who flew trans-Atlantic, she crash-landed in the desert, no-one knows where she's buried - but I couldn't quite find the way in, so I very reluctantly put that one on the backburner.
"Whereas, with someone like [Egyptian activist] Huda Sha'arawi, there's a moment where she arrives at Cairo train station in 1923 and removes her face veil and says, 'Enough!'
"Well, there you go: There's your central image, there's your chorus."
Despite that, he's been accused of "mansplaining" history, perpetuating a pattern of male writers telling stories that belong to women.
"By positioning himself at the centre of proceedings, he's inadvertently fishing for a pat on the back," wrote El Hunt in one such column for the NME.
Turner acknowledges "there are sensible, intelligent questions being raised about my presentation of this record".
"But I don't feel I'm crowding out other voices, I don't know of anyone else who's writing songs about Huda Sha'arawi right now.
"I mean, I can write a record about lesser-known historical men if you want, but it doesn't seem particularly worth my time."
More broadly, he says, it's important for men to acknowledge how women have been subjugated and mistreated”.
Turner himself, as I will source in a minute, has defended his objectives in an extensive blog post where he explains why he has written the album and, rather than write about himself again, why shouldn’t he focus on some forgotten women? It is rare for a male artist to write about women in this way, but things can get complicated. On the one hand, if no male artist took the trouble to write about women and highlight something deep then they would be accused of sexism or ignorance. On the other hand, if their voice is the main one on a record about women then they get criticism regarding motives and authenticity. The subject as to whether the songs are any good is another factor – I am not a huge Frank Turner fan but they are pretty good -, but that debate as to whether men are right to talk about women’s plight is an interesting one that has drawn a lot of response on social media and in the music press.
Before I source a review of No Man’s Land and add my own thoughts – ironically, even this sounds like mansplaining: you can see how sensitivity and a balanced voice needs to be employed! -, I want to bring in Turner’s explanation as to why he recorded No Man’s Land – many have seen this blog post as a bit defensive and shying away from addressing critics head-on:
“My answer comes in two parts. Firstly, for the most part, these are stories that have not and are not being told right now, and I think they deserve to be. I feel like I’m not crowding out other voices in releasing these songs. It seems to me that songs about Huda Sha’arawi and Catherine Blake, to name but two, are rather thin on the ground right now, as far as I’m aware. I’ve learned so much in researching and writing this project, and I’d like to share that knowledge. And, given the streaming world we live in, me putting out a collection of songs doesn’t lessen the bandwidth for other writers to make their own statements.
Secondly, I’d flip the question a bit. I’m a songwriter and a singer, writing and releasing (and then promoting) music is what I do. I could write another album about my own life, or I suppose a record about men from history, but I’m not sure I see the point (especially the latter option), and it doesn’t catch my creative interest right now. For better or worse, I have an audience who are interested in the music I make, and who will listen to the next album I put out. Having a platform, why not use it for something more interesting or worthwhile?
IN THIS PHOTO: Frank Turner with producer Catherine Marks/PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Turner
I have not tried to present this record as an aggressively feminist statement. I have no issue with that word – in fact I’m very much in favour of feminism, and equality in general. But putting that first would seem overbearing to me. I’m not trying to lead a parade I have no right to lead. My approach is perhaps best summed up by the name of a group I do a lot of work with on tour – The Ally Coalition (an LGBTQ+ rights group). It seems to me that my best contribution to all of this is to be just that, an ally, to use whatever platform I have to steer the conversation amongst my audience into better territory as best I can.
Some people have queried the lack of “prominent” female voices on the record itself. Well, I’d argue that prominence is in the eye of the beholder – all the women who played on (and produced) the record were fantastic players who are prominent in my eyes. Of course, I am ultimately singing and playing the songs that I wrote, but given my job description, that doesn’t seem especially weird to me. Naturally, my own character and viewpoint tends to come through in my own writing, like it or not. Then again, I’d argue that Mary Beard’s voice and outlook is pretty prominent in her (excellent) books, and that’s not often considered a problem”.
Musically, I think it is interesting stepping away from the clichés of love and personal focus; there is a new style of storytelling and, whilst some of the history on No Man’s Land has been lost, it is good to see an artist doing something different. The reviews have been mixed so far. NME, when they reviewed the album, had this to say:
“This incessant backpedalling and self-defence does a few things. Firstly, it shows a redeeming willingness to engage with his critics. Secondly – and vitally – it poses a simple question: what’s Frank Turner’s role in all of this? Reading a press release will tell you that Marks produced the record, and the instrumentation is an all-female job, but when you stick on ‘No Man’s Land’, it sounds like a Frank Turner record. That’s fine in itself, but he remains so relentlessly front-and-centre throughout that all the supposed reassurances he’s given across the promotional campaign for the album mean very little.
Musically, ‘No Man’s Land’ flits from old-style folk-punk on opener ‘Jenny Bigham’s Ghost’ to the grand, sweeping ‘I Believed You, William Blake’ to ‘Sister Rosetta’, which adopts the radio-friendly folk-rock he’s become a master of. Yet it does little to either push Turner forward or tell these stories satisfactorily. ‘I Am Easy To Find’, the new album from The National, comes to mind when listening to ‘No Man’s Land’. Accompanied by a short film starring Alicia Vikander, the record loosely tracks a woman’s lifetime, and is heavily punctuated by female voices that soundtrack the highest highs and lowest lows of the protagonist.
There’s no doubt that the stories of the women spoken about here are well worth telling, but you shouldn’t need to read a defensive blog post to work out what it’s all about, and on listening to the record, their voices are consistently overshadowed by Turner’s. Should’ve just made us a Spotify playlist instead, mate”.
I do feel it is important for men to talk about sexism and gender inequality and do so in a way that is compassionate and supportive. As I said, I sometimes wonder how my articles regarding gender inequality are seen and whether, as a man, some feel I am taking liberties. I, like Frank Turner, have my heart in the right place and I often quote from articles that talk to women. Going forward, I think it is important, even when reporting fact and something we all know, to bring female musicians and those in the industry into the mix. Otherwise, my work might come off as a little ironic – given the fact I am supporting women but not actually incorporating their viewpoints in my work! The same criticism has been levied at Turner who, whilst admirable in his goals, has not included female artists. I do not think, like some do, that Turner was wrong to write No Man’s Land in the first place: male artists have a right to do what Turner has done and should not have to defend themselves on that front. Whilst he didn’t need to remove his voice altogether, I wonder whether Turner should have included female artists to sing on each track; maybe sourcing from the mainstream, underground and unusual sources to ensure these stories had a greater sense of truth and purity – is Turner, as narrator, taking the spotlight away from the women he is singing about?!
I definitely feel Turner should be on the record and present, but it would have been good to bring women in. I am sure he has a long list of women he knows or would want to collaborate with so, maybe, that was a missed opportunity. NME’s review suggested Turner should have just put a playlist out, but I think that is insincere and does a disservice to the women he has included on No Man’s Land. Once more, it comes down to creating that balance and getting the tone right. As it sounds, many feel Turner is employing too much of his own voice to tell the stories of women whose voices are being ignored today. Obviously, he could not resurrect them and get their voices on the record but, as this album celebrates important women, having female voices on the album would have deflected a lot of criticism – the fact Catherine Marks oversaw a lot of the recording is being overlooked and I think it is important to note at this stage. Turner is a great songwriter and his objectives are noble. At a time when there is still a way to go until parity occurs, it is vital we encourage people to speak but, of course, ensure women are not being spoken for. Some have suggested that men in general should not tell the stories of women. I would disagree strongly and feel that this sends a very poor message.
I think, in the case of Frank Turner, it would have been a good step, musically and socially, for Turner to include women. That might not have pleased every critic, but I do feel it would have wise. Regardless, I feel Turner has come under a lot of flack for mansplaining when that was not his aim. I feel men have every right to bring women’s rights and past into music and it is important they have a voice. Perhaps, for any other artist looking to create their own No Man’s Land, ensuring there are female voices as part of the narrative is sage. On the surface, it seems like Turner is speaking for women rather than telling stories nobody else is. It is a bit of a tricky debate…but I think, as I said, his heart was in the right place. A lot of undue and unfair criticism has landed at Turner’s feet and it has raised some hackles. I think the most effective way to spotlight history’s forgotten women is to bring them into music but ensure, with that, you have women’s voices in the mix – rather than feeling, full stop, a man should not embark on such a project. Rather than being talked about as a progressive release and a step forward, No Man’s Land has come under fire from various sides of the fence. Turner’s robust defence of the album ahead of the time helped fuel some of that criticism but maybe he should just have addressed criticism when it came rather than writing a long blog post. It is a shame because, for an album that was meant to be noble, illuminating and inspiring, No Man’s Land – this could have been avoided – seems like a bit of…
IMAGE CREDIT: Frank Turner
A step backwards.