Taking its name from the Austro-Hungarian archduke who was assassinated in 1914, the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand was formed in 2001 by Alex Kapranos (vocals, guitar), Bob Hardy (bass), Nick McCarthy (guitar) and Paul Thompson (drums).
The EP Darts of Pleasure, released in 2003 by Domino Records, showed the group revisiting post-punk with its music, which has references from Joy Division, Wire and Talking Heads, and the danceable rhythms of indie rock from the early years of the 21st century.
The band from Glasgow, Scotland, was considered one of the great revelations of the music scene in 2004, the year in which they released their debut album, Franz Ferdinand. The hit "Take Me Out" was one of the highlights of this album. You Could Have It So Much Better, the band's second studio album, was released in 2005. The album Tonight: Franz Ferdinand was released in January 2009.
Franz Ferdinand released their fourth studio album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, in August 2013. In 2016, guitarist/keyboardist Nick McCarthy left the band. Julian Corrie took his place. With a new line-up, the band released the album Always Ascending in February 2018. The sixth album, The Human Fear, was released in early 2025.
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