Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish alternative rock band. The band's debut self-titled album released in 2004 debuted on the UK album charts at number three, and won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. So far, the band has released six singles

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish alternative rock band. The band's debut self-titled album released in 2004 debuted on the UK album charts at number three, and won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize. So far, the band has released six singles of which "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée" and "Do You Want To" were top 10 hits in the UK. They are influenced by 1980s post-punk, garage rock and new wave and are currently exploring the world of hip hop for inspiration on how to improve their production techniques. It is no secret that the band is also greatly influenced by the work of The Beatles, which is particularly evident on their 2005 album You Could Have It So Much Better.

In late 2001, singer and guitarist Alex Kapranos and bassist Robert Hardy began playing together in Glasgow. After meeting Nicholas McCarthy they started to rehearse together at McCarthy's house. McCarthy was classically trained on the piano and double bass but initially played drums. The trio then met up with Paul Thomson who had played drums with Yummy Fur, leading him to swap instruments with McCarthy.