Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band's original lineup was composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar, keyboard), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals). Julian Corrie (keyboards, synthesiser, guitar and backing vocals) joined the band in 2017 after McCarthy left during the previous year. The band has been notable for being one of the more popular post-punk revival bands, garnering multiple UK top 20 hits. They have been nominated for several Grammy Awards and have received two Brit Awards – winning one for Best British Group – as well as one NME Award. 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" achieved global recognition by charting in several countries and went on to earn a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. It has since been noted as the band's signature song as well. The band released their self-titled debut studio album on 9 February 2004 to critical acclaim. The album won the 2004 Mercury 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 Better, which was produced by Rich Costey. The album went on to earn acclaim from critics as well as a positive commercial performance, peaking within the top-ten in multiple countries. At the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, the album earned a nomination for Best Alternative Album and one of the singles released from the album, "Do You Want To", earned a nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The band's third studio album, Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, was announced in late 2008 and released in January 2009. The album was notable for featuring a change in the band's musical style, as the band had shifted from a post-punk-focused sound, which was featured on their first two albums, to a more dance-oriented sound. The album gained a positive commercial performance as well as positive reviews from critics. A remix album of Tonight, titled Blood, was subsequently released in July 2009. Four years after the release of Tonight, the band released their fourth studio album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, in August 2013. In 2015, Franz Ferdinand and American rock band Sparks formed the supergroup FFS and released a one-off self-titled album in June 2015. Following the departure of McCarthy, the band released their fifth studio album, Always Ascending, in February 2018.