Album "The Human Fear"

Franz Ferdinand: Always writing big hits

Hidden object with joy of playing: Franz Ferdinand are still in top musical form after more than 20 years.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Domino, Fiona Torre)

Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand let a good seven years pass between their last studio album and the current one, "The Human Fear". Frontman Alex Kapranos explains in the "Krone" interview why this had to be, why they took their cue from their own past and how best to deal with fears.

Firstly, things turn out differently and secondly, than you think. This - admittedly - hackneyed truism was a sad reality for many artists and cultural workers thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. This is also the case for the Scots Franz Ferdinand, whose brand new album "The Human Fear" is the first in almost seven years. Such a length of time between two albums almost takes on Guns N' Roses proportions, as frontman Alex Kapranos clearly explains in the Krone interview. "We released 'Always Ascending' in 2018, went on tour with it and wanted to write the next album straight away. But then the pandemic hit us and it was clear that a new album wouldn't make sense." So in March 2022, the best-of album "Hits To The Head" was released, on which the Scottish band looked back on their career for the first time in time for their 20th birthday.

Identity of the band rediscovered
"We went back on tour with it, everyone wants to hear the hits. I hate looking back and going into the past. But it was good to compile this album because I went back to the old songs and realized what Franz Ferdinand was all about back then and what made us tick. I recognized the identity of the band again and gained new courage." The most important resolution for the current studio album was that every song had to be a potential hit. "If you're releasing a greatest hits album, then you definitely want to get close to this achievement," laughs the frontman in front of his painting by Egon Schiele, "so every song had to be able to compete with the big hits. Every song had to have a place in a potential live set and be worth playing." After a brief crisis, Franz Ferdinand also found their way back to their old lightness.

In 2021, drummer Paul Thomson left the band after almost 20 years. This was a big blow for ringleader Kapranos. "I hate to say it, but Paul really brought a lot of negative energy into the band over the last few years. I didn't realize it until he left and Audrey replaced him. Suddenly I had someone back in the position who wanted to play our songs from before. Someone who enjoyed it and brought a new vibe. That changed the dynamic in the band for the better." Audrey Tait is no stranger to the Scottish indie and rock scene and has given Franz Ferdinand a breath of fresh air under their wings after almost two decades. "Many journalists asked me why I brought a woman into the band. I didn't bring Audrey in for that reason, but because she's the best drummer in the whole of Scotland. I was never looking for new band members, but I'm happy with the ones that are here now. The band just feels good."

The power of the unconscious
The songs on the loosely conceptual "The Human Fear" were written with the same freshness and freedom. Kapranos is a big fan of technology, but an even bigger fan of spontaneous rock'n'roll. "When five people rock out together in a room, nothing compares." Not only has the band used many first recordings, Kapranos' vocals in particular have sometimes been curiously pressed onto CD and record. "Sometimes I'd curl up under the comforter, my little kid in the next room, and sing tracks into my microphone there. I covered the bedroom with coats and blankets. It was all very lo-fi and really old-school. In these moments, I sing unconsciously because no one is watching and judging me, as is the case in the studio. And the best, most authentic moments arise from this subconscious."

"The Human Fear" lives from a very interesting paradox. On the one hand, each of the eleven songs deals with a specific fear, while on the other, the work is incredibly upbeat and cheerful. You can tell that "Hits To The Head" has a lasting effect here, not least because between disco bangers like "Hooked", garage rock excursions and a few more serious art rock swerves, everything you have come to know and love from Franz Ferdinand is quoted - just without copying their own past. "I've never worked on a concept before in my life and I only realized this one when I was writing the last line to the last song." "Tell Me I Should Stay" deals with the fear of saying goodbye to a loved one, "Bar Lonely" with the fear of the end of a relationship and "The Birds" with the fear of being let down by your best buddies. The latter song, for example, surprises with a funk vibe. "It's certainly not a conventional song from us, but it's one that's a lot of fun. We just strung hooks and riffs together and gave ourselves the freedom to let it all flow."

Back to the roots
Serious topics, musically mixed in a light-footed way - that is the recipe for success of the current album. "Today, everyone judges and evaluates everyone. That's a terrible thing that I keep my distance from. I don't have to agree with everyone, but that doesn't mean I have to comment on it publicly. It's an unhealthy direction that our society is taking. As a musician, I learned early on how to deal with the fact that everyone has an opinion about you and a lot of people don't like you. You have to block that out, but also tolerate it. Just like humor. I hate sexism and I hate racism. But I also hate the fact that every joke today is immediately pigeonholed." With "Black Eyelashes", Kapranos even wrote a song about his Greek roots. "My father is from there and I'm a typical immigrant. I was often in Greece as a child and everyone always wondered how a blond boy with blue eyes could speak Greek. I didn't fit in there, even though I'm rooted there. So the black eyelashes are a funny metaphor for my identity."

With "The Human Fear", Franz Ferdinand return to their old strengths and prove early on in the year that even a veteran band can still make music in a fresh and free-spirited way. Only the Austrian audience will have to wait (for now). Neither the February tour dates nor the previously confirmed summer festival shows in Europe have a fixed date in the Alpine republic. But Kapranos is sure that there will be another slide ...