Alexander David Turner (born 6 January 1986) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is well known as the front man and principal songwriter of the rock band Arctic Monkeys, with whom he has released seven albums. He has also recorded with his side project involving Miles Kane, as The Last Shadow Puppets and also as a solo artist.
When Turner was 17, he and three friends formed Arctic Monkeys in their native Sheffield. Their debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006), became the fastest-selling debut album in British history and was ranked at No. 30 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest debut albums of all time, with the single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" becoming a UK number-one hit. The band's subsequent studio albums, Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007), Humbug (2009), Suck It and See (2011), AM (2013), Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018) and The Car (2022), have experimented with desert rock, indie pop, R&B, and lounge music. Arctic Monkeys headlined Glastonbury Festival in both 2007 and 2013, Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2014 and 2022, and performed during the 2012 London Summer Olympics opening ceremony.
As the co-frontmen of The Last Shadow Puppets, Turner and Miles Kane have released two orchestral pop albums: The Age of the Understatement (2008) and Everything You've Come to Expect (2016). Turner also provided an acoustic soundtrack for the feature film Submarine (2010), and co-wrote and co-produced Alexandra Savior's debut album Belladonna of Sadness (2017).
Turner's lyricism, ranging from kitchen sink realism to surrealist wordplay, has been widely praised throughout the music industry and the public. All but one of his nine studio albums have topped the UK Albums Chart. He has won seven Brit Awards, an Ivor Novello Award, and a Mercury Prize (he has been nominated six times).
Biography[]
Early years[]
Turner was born as Alexandr David Turner in Sheffield on January 6, 1986, to Penny and David Turner, both secondary school teachers. He was raised in Sheffield's High Green suburb, Turner's parents came from distinct backgrounds though; his mother, hailing from Amersham, Buckinghamshire, was a German teacher with a passion for language, while his Sheffield-native father taught music and physics.
Growing up in a household of music enthusiasts, Turner's early memories included the sounds of the Beatles and the Beach Boys. His parents exposed him to diverse musical genres, with Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and the Eagles playing during car journeys. Turner's father, a jazz and swing music aficionado, particularly admired Frank Sinatra, having played the saxophone, trumpet, and piano in big bands.
Turner's musical journey began at a young age, with his father teaching him scales on the family keyboard. He also received professional piano lessons until the age of eight. Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys held a special place in his heart, sparking his initial interest in music.
From 5 years old, Turner shared his upbringing with neighbor Matt Helders, attending primary school, secondary school, and college together. Their friendship solidified over shared interests in hip-hop artists like Dr. Dre, the Wu-Tang Clan, Outkast, and Roots Manuva. The trio spent their time engaged in various activities, from playing basketball and skateboarding to experimenting with hip-hop beats using Turner's father's Cubase system.
Turner's entry into the world of rock music came with the Strokes' breakthrough in 2001. At 15, his father lent him a school guitar to learn a few chords, and for Christmas that year, his parents gifted him an electric guitar.
Turner was educated at Stocksbridge High School from 1997 to 2002. He stood out as a bright and popular student who excelled in sports rather than music, according to his former teacher Mark Coleman. Described as clever yet reserved by his English and drama teacher, Simon Baker, Turner displayed a laid-back approach to his studies, sparking concern from his mother and criticism from other teachers.
Moving on to Barnsley College from 2002 to 2004, Turner chose subjects like music technology and media studies, avoiding substantial subjects required for university entry. Despite his self-consciousness about sharing his writing, Turner enjoyed English lessons and continued his exploration of various creative avenues.
Arctic Monkeys emergence (2002-2004)[]
At 15, Turner's weekends were centered around socializing with friends, engaging with girls, and enjoying cider. Described as "always the quiet one" by school friend Joe Carnall within their social circle, Turner, along with Helders and Nicholson, decided to form Arctic Monkeys in mid-2002 as their peers began creating bands and performing live.
According to Nicholson, Turner, equipped with various instruments at home, already possessed a basic understanding of musicianship due to his father's role as a music teacher. Helders acquired a drum kit, and Turner suggested Nicholson take up the bass guitar. They also invited Jamie Cook, a neighbor from a different school, to join as the guitarist. Initially, Turner played the guitar in the instrumental band but transitioned to the frontman role when two other school friends declined to sing. Recognizing Turner's affinity for words, Helders considered him the natural lyricist, leading to the gradual sharing of songs with the bandmates.
Before their debut live performance, the band rehearsed for a year in Turner's garage and later at an unused warehouse in Wath. According to Helders' mother, who facilitated transportation to and from rehearsals three times a week, secrecy was essential as the band would stop playing if they knew someone was present. Their inaugural gig took place on Friday, June 13, 2003, supporting The Sound at a local pub called The Grapes. The set, partly recorded, included four original songs and four cover versions of tracks by the Beatles, the White Stripes, the Undertones, and the Datsuns.
During the summer of 2003, Turner served as a rhythm guitarist for the funk band Judan Suki, playing seven gigs in York and Liverpool after meeting lead singer Jon McClure on a bus. In August of the same year, while recording a demo with Judan Suki at Sheffield's 2fly Studios, Turner asked Alan Smyth to produce an Arctic Monkeys demo. Smyth, recognizing their potential, agreed, though he advised Turner against singing in an American voice. This introduction by Smyth led to the band acquiring a management team, Geoff Barradale and Ian McAndrew, who funded the recording of several three-song demos in 2003 and 2004.
Turner's quiet and observant nature during studio sessions was noted by Smyth, who recalled Turner sitting and listening before contributing to discussions. At their rehearsal room in Yellow Arch Studios, Arctic Monkeys gained a reputation for hard work. The studio owner lent the band touring equipment, and the owner's wife assisted Turner with his singing. Barradale drove the band to venues in Scotland, the Midlands, and the north of England to establish their live band reputation. The band distributed free demo CDs after each show, and fans began sharing the unofficial Beneath the Boardwalk demo compilation online.
Upon completing college in mid-2004, Turner took a year off to concentrate on the band, temporarily setting aside plans to attend university in Manchester. During this time, he worked part-time as a bartender at the Sheffield music venue The Boardwalk, where he interacted with notable figures such as musician Richard Hawley and poet John Cooper Clarke. By the end of 2004, Arctic Monkeys' audiences were actively participating in their performances, and the demo of "I Bet You Look Good on The Dancefloor" gained airplay on BBC Radio 1 thanks to Zane Lowe.
Debut and rise to fame (2005-2007)[]
In early 2005, Arctic Monkeys garnered national attention, earning their initial mention in a national newspaper in April, where a Daily Star reporter hailed them as "the most exciting band to emerge this year." The band self-released an EP in May, featuring the single "Fake Tales of San Francisco," and embarked on their first nationwide tour shortly thereafter. Amid a bidding war in June, Arctic Monkeys signed with the independent label Domino Recording Company. Following initial sessions with James Ford and Mike Crossey, they recorded their debut album in rural Lincolnshire with producer Jim Abbiss.
In October, their single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, the band's first album, hit shelves in January 2006, debuting at number one on the UK Albums Chart. Turner's lyrics, chronicling teenage nightlife in Sheffield, earned widespread acclaim, with Kelefa Sanneh of The New York Times praising his ability to evoke Northern English youth culture without romanticizing or sneering at it. Musically, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian noted the album's influence from guitar bands of the past five years, highlighting its unapologetic approach to rock history intricacies.
The debut album became the fastest-selling in British music history, turning Arctic Monkeys into a cultural phenomenon and prompting the British press to hail Turner as "the voice of a generation." Despite this, Turner, described as quiet and uncomfortable with attention in interviews, downplayed the hype, expressing a desire for the band to grow similarly to The Clash. Less than two months after the album's release, Turner declared Sheffield-inspired songwriting a "closed book" as the band aimed to explore new themes.
Arctic Monkeys continued to release new material, including the EP "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" in April and the single "Leave Before the Lights Come On" in August. During this time, they made the decision to permanently replace Nicholson with Nick O'Malley due to touring fatigue. Turner and Nicholson stopped speaking for two years, but their friendship was later repaired.
The band's second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, produced by Mike Crossey and James Ford, was released in April 2007, exploring themes of fame, love, and heartache. The album showcased Turner's gift for vivid imagery and delved into new emotional depths, receiving critical acclaim. Arctic Monkeys' commercial success continued, with the album debuting at number one in the UK, and they headlined the Glastonbury Festival in the summer of 2007.
In addition to their musical achievements, Turner began collaborating with other artists, working with rapper Dizzee Rascal on the Arctic Monkeys B-side "Temptation" and co-writing songs for Reverend and The Makers' debut album. Turner also announced plans for a side-project band, The Last Shadow Puppets, with Ford and Miles Kane, formed during a tour in mid-2005.
Musical experimentation (2008-2011)[]
The Last Shadow Puppets unveiled their debut album, "The Age of the Understatement," in April 2008, coinciding with Turner's relocation from Sheffield to east London. Co-written by Turner and Kane, the album was recorded in the Loire Valley, France, and featured string arrangements by Owen Pallett. Pitchfork's Hogan noted a shift in Turner's lyrical style, describing it as a move from detailed Arctic Monkeys brushstrokes to bold, cinematic gestures. The Guardian's Petridis detected an artist broadening his scope with a certain fearlessness on display. During a tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Turner expressed that Kane's presence provided him a "somewhere to hide" on stage. The Last Shadow Puppets surprised Glastonbury Festival attendees with a guest appearance by both Matt Helders and Jack White. Alison Mosshart also joined the band for a performance at the Olympia in Paris and contributed vocals for a B-side. In 2008, Turner formed a one-off covers band with Dev Hynes for a London show and recorded a spoken word track, "A Choice of Three," for Helders' compilation album Late Night Tales.
Describing Arctic Monkeys' third album, Humbug, released in August 2009, as "a massive turning point" in the band's career, Turner highlighted their collaboration with producer Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age in Joshua Tree, California. Petridis praised the band's desire to progress, even though some lyrics were deemed too oblique by some critics. "Cornerstone" was lauded as a dazzling display of Turner's capabilities, described as fabulously witty and poignant in evoking lost love. Pitchfork's Tangari viewed the album as a legitimate expansion of the band's songwriting arsenal, with "Cornerstone" standing out as the highlight. Turner joined Richard Hawley on stage at a London charity concert during a break in the UK "Humbug" tour, and he played a seven-song acoustic set. Homme also joined Arctic Monkeys for a live performance in Pioneertown, California.
Residing in Brooklyn, New York, since the spring of 2009, Turner crafted an acoustic soundtrack for the coming-of-age film "Submarine" (2010), which was released as an EP in March 2011. Initially approached to sing cover versions by director Richard Ayoade, Turner recorded six original songs in London, creating a mixtape within the film's world. Critics praised Turner's portrayal of adolescent uncertainty, with Pitchfork's Paul Thompson commending his keen wit and eye for detail. The Independent's Ben Walsh described the "exquisite" soundtrack as reminiscent of Cat Stevens's work on "Harold and Maude," earning a spot on The Times's list of 100 Soundtracks to Love in 2014. Additionally, Turner co-wrote six songs for Miles Kane's debut solo album, "Colour of the Trap" (2011), and co-wrote Kane's standalone single "First of My Kind" (2012).
Arctic Monkeys' fourth album, Suck It and See, written by Turner in New York and recorded in Los Angeles with his bandmates and James Ford, was met with positive reviews. Pitchfork's Hogan praised the album's chiming indie pop balladry and muscular glam-rock, while The Guardian's Petridis commended Turner's dense, Dylanesque wordplay and beautifully turned phrases. Richard Hawley co-wrote and provided vocals for the B-side "You and I," later performing the song with the band at the Olympia in Paris. Turner also shared the stage with Elvis Costello in New York, singing "Lipstick Vogue."
Rise to fame (2012-2017)[]
By 2012, Arctic Monkeys had relocated to Los Angeles, where Turner and Helders shared a house. The band toured the US as the supporting act for the Black Keys early that year, marking their first extensive tour as a support act after previously opening for Oasis and Queens of the Stone Age at one-off shows. In preparation for the tour, they released the standalone single "R U Mine?" Later in 2012, Arctic Monkeys delivered memorable performances at the London Summer Olympics opening ceremony, featuring "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" and a cover of the Beatles' "Come Together." In early 2013, Turner contributed backing vocals to the Queens of the Stone Age song "If I Had a Tail" and played bass guitar on "Get Right," a B-side for Miles Kane. The band also headlined the Glastonbury Festival for the second time in June.
The album AM was released in September 2013, receiving praise for its exploration of "desperate 3 a.m. thoughts" and its ability to modernize various musical influences, including "T. Rex bop, Bee Gees backup vocals, Rolling Stones R&B, and Black Sabbath monster riffage," according to Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork. The Guardian's Phil Mongredien hailed it as the band's "most coherent, most satisfying album since their debut," emphasizing Turner's continued prowess in crafting insightful lyrics. Arctic Monkeys extensively promoted the album in the US, a departure from previous campaigns where they had resisted radio promotion, as acknowledged by Helders, who cited "stubborn teenage thinking" at the time. The band toured for 18 months, and during their performances in Los Angeles and Austin, they were joined onstage by Josh Homme.
In 2014, Columbia Records approached Turner to collaborate with Alexandra Savior, resulting in their co-written debut album, "Belladonna of Sadness," produced by Turner and James Ford in 2015. Turner played bass, guitars, keyboards, and synthesisers on the album. The track "Risk" was recorded with T Bone Burnett for an episode of the crime drama True Detective. While Turner and Savior performed together in Los Angeles in 2016, the album was not released until April 2017, drawing recognition for Turner's distinctive musical style.
The Last Shadow Puppets unveiled their second album, "Everything You've Come to Expect," in April 2016. The album, featuring Turner, Kane, and Ford, along with Zach Dawes of Mini Mansions, received acclaim for its love-themed lyrics, with Turner acknowledging they were his "most straight-up love letters" written for American model Taylor Bagley, whom he dated from 2015 to 2018. Critics praised Turner's lyrical brilliance and melodic skill, though some noted an air of misanthropy in the album. The band toured in Europe and North America from March to August 2016, with notable guest appearances by Johnny Marr on guitar at two shows and Turner's father, David, playing saxophone at a Berlin show.
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino and The Car (2018-Present)[]
Arctic Monkeys' sixth album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, was released in May 2018. Turner, inspired by a Steinway Vertegrand piano received as a 30th birthday gift, crafted the space-themed album from the perspective of a lounge-style character. Initially recording demos alone, he later collaborated with Helders and shared the material with Cook in early 2017. Despite initial surprise at the change in direction, Cook expressed excitement about Turner's creative vision. By mid-2017, the entire band, along with musicians from Tame Impala, Klaxons, and Mini Mansions, recorded the project in Los Angeles and France. Produced by Turner and James Ford, the album explored the role of entertainment during societal upheaval, receiving acclaim for its captivatingly bizarre and artful satire. The album marked Turner's eighth UK number one. The band toured extensively from May 2018 to April 2019.
In their seventh studio album, The Car, released in October 2022, Turner's songwriting maintained a subdued tone after unsuccessful attempts at heavier guitar riffs. The album prominently featured a string section co-arranged by Turner. The lead single, "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball," came with a video co-directed by Turner. Turner also composed the music for the audiobook version of Richard Ayoade's "The Book That No One Wanted to Read" in the same year, performing the instrumental interludes with James Ford. Despite being diagnosed with acute laryngitis just days before, Arctic Monkeys headlined Glastonbury Festival for the third time in 2023.
Discography[]
Solo[]
- Submarine (2011)
Arctic Monkeys[]
- Main article: Arctic Monkeys discography
- Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)
- Favourite Worst Nightmare (2007)
- Humbug (2009)
- Suck It and See (2011)
- AM (2013)
- Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018)
- The Car (2022)
The Last Shadow Puppets[]
- The Age of the Understatement (2008)
- Everything You've Come to Expect (2016)
Other collaborations[]
- 2007 – Reverend and The Makers – The State of Things (writer and vocalist on "The Machine", co-writer of "He Said He Loved Me" and "Armchair Detective")
- 2007 – Dizzee Rascal – Maths + English ("Temptation")
- 2008 – Matt Helders – Late Night Tales: Matt Helders ("A Choice of Three")
- 2011 – Miles Kane – Colour of the Trap (co-writer of "Rearrange", "Counting Down the Days", "Happenstance", "Telepathy", "Better Left Invisible" and "Colour of the Trap")
- 2012 – Miles Kane – First of My Kind EP (co-writer of "First of My Kind")
- 2013 – Miles Kane – Don't Forget Who You Are (co-writer and bassist on B-side "Get Right")
- 2013 – Queens of the Stone Age – ...Like Clockwork (guest vocalist on "If I Had a Tail")
- 2015 – Mini Mansions – The Great Pretenders (co-writer and guest vocalist on "Vertigo", co-writer on "Valet")
- 2015 – Alexandra Savior – True Detective season 2 original soundtrack (co-composed song "Risk" on guitar, keyboard, drums)
- 2017 – Alexandra Savior – Belladonna of Sadness (co-writer, co-producer, bass, guitar, keyboards, and synthesizers)
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