In 2004, Scottish rock band Franz Ferdinand struck gold with their single Take Me Out – 20 years on and they still love their classic tracks.
There is a huge craze at the moment of 00s artists reuniting, whether it’s The Maccabees or No Doubt but Franz Ferdinand never actually stopped.
Sure they took some breaks over the years but founding trio Alex Kapranos, Bob Hardy, and Julian Corrie have never officially disbanded.
Alex, 52, believes this could be the secret to why they’ve never fallen out of love with their songs, even after playing them hundreds of times.
He and Bob, the 44-year-old bassist, sat down with Metro ahead of the release of their first studio album in seven years; The Human Fear.
‘I think if, if we’d split up and then come back and reformed and we were just playing those old songs, I think I would probably resent them,’ Alex confessed.
Franz Ferdinand ‘really enjoy’ bringing out their biggest hits because they are ‘in the context of the new songs’ like Audacious or Hooked.
The frontman continued: ‘I feel that we are very much a living band. I still have that feeling of dissatisfaction, which I think you need to have as an artist that’s moving forward.
‘That feeling that you haven’t done your greatest work yet is very inspiring, and it doesn’t mean that I’m dismissing my [older songs] I love those songs, but I feel like I always want to better them.’
He and Bob laugh when asked if this album is ‘better’ than classics like Do You Want To and Walk Away.
‘I love this record, that’s all I’m gonna say,’ replied Alex, adding: ‘You can’t do that.’
The Human Fear, which drops on January 10, brings that classic big Franz Ferdinand sound to a concept album – focusing on overcoming fears.
This is the first full studio album the band has released since 2018, although they did release two singles alongside their Hits to the Head album.
Released two years ago, the band then embarked on a world tour, playing their greatest hits … and some new tracks.
‘These songs on this record had to compete with, well, it’s really the best of the last 20 years,’ Alex recalled.
‘It probably had quite an effect on making this record as they weren’t competing with a deep-cut B side from the third album. They were competing with the songs that everybody knows.’
He wanted the new tracks to ‘stand up’ and ‘hold their own’ against Take Me Out and the real iconic songs from their huge career.
‘That’s a good motivation, isn’t it? Competing against yourself,’ the Darts of Pleasure singer added.
The band aren’t only competing against themselves when it comes to name recognisability though, as they are infamously named after the Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
Alex laughed when Metro asked if this has ever felt like a mistake, stating the name is ‘in everyone’s psyche’ so instantly feels familiar – unless they’re in the US where people often think it’s one of their names.
He revealed they almost ironically called themselves Franz Ferdinand 2000, to play on the naming trend which emerged in the late 90s new millennium.
However, since the band actually formed in 2002, he’s just ‘really glad’ they decided against the ‘cheap joke’ which could have been a 20-year ‘burden’.
Franz Ferdinand aren’t planning to pack up their guitars any time soon, with multiple festivals announced for 2025 along with their UK and Europe tour.
When asked about future goals, the incredibly stoic Bob chimed in that he wants to be ‘the first band on Mars’.
‘I’m talking away, not saying anything particularly funny, and he stays silent for 15 minutes then comes out with a killer,’ joked Alex. ‘Totally upstaged me.’
‘I don’t really want to go to Mars,’ added Bob, saying he was just looking forward to touring and seeing the crowd’s response to these new songs.
He continued: ‘For me, that’s the big payoff for making an album. It’s the records you’ve sat and listened to in your headphones and then you go and see the artist; that’s where the real magic takes place.’
Alex agreed, saying he just enjoys ‘watching the crowd go mental’ when they bring out those huge hits.
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Of the new album, the Brit Award winner added: ‘The album’s not about fear so much as overcoming fear. When you overcome fear, it’s a remarkably thrilling experience, it makes you feel alive.
‘That’s when your heart beats strongest, that’s when you feel the blood in your veins. That’s why we search out fear, it’s knowing you’ve passed through it that makes you feel alive.’
Franz Ferdinand’s album The Human Fear is out on January 10, 2025 with singles Night or Day and Audacious out now.
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