Franz Ferdinand

Artist Image: Franz Ferdinand
Attribution

Biography

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals). The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album, Franz Ferdinand, which debuted on the UK album chart at #3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released: "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée", and "This Fire". The band's second album, You Could Have It So Much Better (2005), was a platinum-selling album in the United Kingdom and gold-selling in the United States. The album topped the UK Album Charts, and made the top ten in the Billboard 200 in the US. The album produced the hit single "Do You Want To", amongst many other singles. After the release of You Could Have It So Much Better, the band took some time recording their third album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, which was released internationally on 26 January 2009, and made the top ten in the United Kingdom and the United States. "Ulysses" was released as the lead single, although "No You Girls" proved to be popular, being their second longest-charting single in the UK, after "Do You Want To" (2005). The band has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, becoming one of the few Scottish bands or artists to do so. They have been nominated for several BRIT Awards in the UK, and have won an NME Award. With their three studio albums, the band sold over 3 million albums worldwide in 2009.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2001
Number of Albums 43
Record Label Domino
Website www.franzferdinand.co.uk
Wikipedia Franz Ferdinand on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Who was the guitarist in the original lineup?

Nick McCarthy

...original lineup was composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals, guitar), Nick McCarthy (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Bob Hardy (bass guitar, backin...
What was Nick McCarthy's role in the band?

guitar, keyboards, backing vocals

...sed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals, guitar), Nick McCarthy ( guitar, keyboards, backing vocals ), Bob Hardy (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Paul Thoms...
Where did Julian Corrie and Dino Bardot join?

2017

...king vocals) and Dino Bardot (guitar, backing vocals) joined the band in 2017 after McCarthy left during the previous year, and Audrey Tait (drums) jo...
When did Thomson leave?

2021

...ious year, and Audrey Tait (drums) joined the band after Thomson left in 2021 . The band is one of the more popular postpunk revival bands, garnering m...
What were the band's first two singles?

Darts of Pleasure and Take Me Out

...ing multiple UK top 20 hits. The band's first two singles, Darts of Pleasure and Take Me Out , peaked within the top 50 on the UK Singles Chart. Take M...
What was the name of the band's signature song?

Take Me Out

...e UK top 20 hits. The band's first two singles, Darts of Pleasure and Take Me Out , peaked within the top 50 on the UK Singles Chart. Take Me Out chart...
What award did the band win for their debut album?

Mercury Prize

...d's signature song. Their selftitled debut studio album won the 2004 Mercury Prize and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album. In 2005,...
In what year was the band released their second album, You Could Have It So Much Better?

2005

...cury Prize and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album. In 2005 , the band released their second studio album, You Could Have It So Much ...
Which album was released in 2005?

You Could Have It So Much Better

...bum. In 2005, the band released their second studio album, You Could Have It So Much Better , produced by Rich Costey. It peaked within the topten in m...
Who produced You Could Have It So Much Better?

Rich Costey

...ir second studio album, You Could Have It So Much Better, produced by Rich Costey . It peaked within the topten in multiple countries and earned Grammy...
What was the name of the band's third album?

Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

...of the singles, Do You Want To. The band's third studio album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand , was released in January 2009; by then the band had shifted fr...
When was Tonight: Franz Ferdinand released?

January 2009

...band's third studio album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, was released in January 2009 ; by then the band had shifted from a postpunk focused sound to a mor...
What was Tonight's remix album called?

Blood

... the band had shifted from a postpunk focused sound to a more dance oriented sound. A remix album of Tonight, titled Blood , was released in July 2009....
Where is Little Big Man located?

155 Ave. of the Americas

... how to submit Franz Ferdinand lyrics. Booking Little Big Man, 155 Ave. of the Americas , 6th Fl., New York, NY 10013, phone: (646) 3368520, website: h...
What genre of music began to kick back in the new millennium?

rock and roll

... NSync, as well as hiphop and R&B. Come the new millennium, however, rock and roll seemed to start kicking back, bolstered by the newfound success of ...
Who were the Backstreet Boys and NSync?

teenpop groups

...om. In the late 1990s, the world of mainstream pop was dominated by teenpop groups like the Backstreet Boys and NSync, as well as hiphop and R&B. Come...
What was a viable source of entertainment for mainstream music fans?

rock

... newfound success of bands like the White Stripes and the Strokes. Soon, rock was again a viable source of entertainment for mainstream music fans, an...
Who was the drummer for the artrock combo Yummy Fur?

Thomson

... Scottish band of four welldressed songsmiths known as Franz Ferdinand. Thomson was the drummer for artrock combo Yummy Fur, who bore a slight resembl...
What was the name of the artrock combo that Thomson was a part of?

Yummy Fur

...hs known as Franz Ferdinand. Thomson was the drummer for artrock combo Yummy Fur , who bore a slight resemblance to bands like the Fall and Wire. Heade...
When did the yummy fur start?

1992

...nds like the Fall and Wire. Headed by John McKeown, Yummy Fur started in 1992 , and released numerous albums, including Night Club and Sexy World. Thom...
Who led the band that started in 1992?

John McKeown

...bore a slight resemblance to bands like the Fall and Wire. Headed by John McKeown , Yummy Fur started in 1992, and released numerous albums, including ...
In what year did Thomson join the band?

1997

... numerous albums, including Night Club and Sexy World. Thomson joined in 1997 , and appeared on the bands last three albums. After Sexy World was relea...
What name did Kapranos go by?

Alex Huntley

...ums. After Sexy World was released, Kapranos, then going by the name Alex Huntley , joined the band on bass, later switching to guitar before the bands...
What did the band say they wanted to sound like?

nothing we made before

...ing is nothing short of a rebirth. We wanted this to sound like nothing we made before , said the band and after listening to the first moments of the ...
Who joined the core members Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy, and Paul Thomson?

Julian Corrie

...ement last year, Nick McCarthy (guitar) left to raise his family and Julian Corrie , a muchloved figure in the Glasgow music scene, joined core members...
Who are the three members of FF?

Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy and Paul Thomson

...figure in the Glasgow music scene, joined core members Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy and Paul Thomson . With reclusive producer Philippe Zdar (Cassius, Phoe...
What is the name of the reclusive producer on FF's new album?

Philippe Zdar

...s Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy and Paul Thomson. With reclusive producer Philippe Zdar (Cassius, Phoenix, Beastie Boys), FF have taken a knife to their ol...
Along with NSync, hiphop and R&B, what genre of music dominated the mainstream pop scene?

teenpop

...k group In the late 1990s, the world of mainstream pop was dominated by teenpop groups like the Backstreet Boys and NSync, as well as hiphop and R&B. ...
What did bands outfitted with guitars and drum sets take back from groups with choreographed dance moves?

the crown

...ic fans, and bands outfitted with guitars and drum sets started taking the crown back from groups with choreographed dance moves and songs intended fo...
How many well dressed songsmiths were in Franz Ferdinand?

four

...dience. One of the surprise successes of this era was a Scottish band of four welldressed songsmiths known as Franz Ferdinand. Thomson was the drummer...
What was Yammum Fur's first album called?

Night Club

...n, Yummy Fur started in 1992, and released numerous albums, including Night Club and Sexy World. Thomson joined in 1997, and appeared on the bands las...
The Strokes and the Libertines reminded listeners how what could evergreen hookdriven guitar music be?

refreshing

...s such as the Strokes and the Libertines reminding listeners just how refreshing and evergreen hookdriven guitar music could be. While Franz Ferdinand...
Franz Ferdinand had a kinship with what acts?

the Strokes and the Libertines

...the wake of the early2000s rock revival, with bands such as the Strokes and the Libertines reminding listeners just how refreshing and evergreen hookd...
What was the name of the 2022 bestof?

Hits to the Head

...vintage glam influences on the new songs included on 2022's bestof Hits to the Head . Prior to forming Franz Ferdinand, singerguitarist Alex Kapranos p...
What was the name of the drummer in Yummy Fur?

Paul Thomson

...the Karelia and Yummy Fur (the latter of which also featured drummer Paul Thomson ). In late 2001, and bassist Bob Hardy began working on music togethe...
What did the band need after their illicit art parties were discovered by the police?

a new rehearsal space

... group despite no prior experience as a drummer. The band needed a new rehearsal space once their illicit art parties were discovered by the police, a...