Franz Ferdinand's new album, The Human Fear, is making a bid for No.1 this week. According to the Official Charts Company Midweek sales flash, it is currently in pole position.
The band have just been announced as Amazon Music's latest UK City Sessions livestream, taking place live from Manchester’s Aviva Studios from 9pm on Saturday (January 18). The special performance will be streamed live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch.
With release of the sixth album of Franz Ferdinand‘s two-decade career, leader Alex Kapranos holds court on his industry fears, the era of ‘indie landfill’ and the secret to longevity…
INTERVIEW: Paul Stokes PHOTO: Fiona Torre
The new album is called The Human Fear. What are you afraid of when it comes to music industry matters?
“There are a lot of fears facing musicians. The primary one is historic and has repeated itself for as long as there has been a music industry. It’s the fear that you’re not going to be able to pay your fucking rent because the money’s going to some parasite. My response could be summed up by our song Audacious. Rather than shirking away, I want to do the most audacious thing I can.”
Why do you think people are still interested in 2000s indie bands?
“You remain a contemporary artist while you’re still making contemporary music. There’s also an undercurrent of the ebb and flow of fashion. Fuck it, I’ve always had a disregard for fashion, and that’s the healthiest way to be as an artist. When you chase fashion, you are always behind.”
Some acts who came after you were branded ‘indie landfill’, did you ever fear you might be dragged in?
“I grew up loving Leonard Cohen when he was a byword for unfashionable, then was bemused in the 1990s when suddenly he became cool again. So I knew the path of the long-term artist before I even set out to write a song. You understand that, while you have a straight path, other people meander in and out as you go along.”
You remain a contemporary artist while you’re still making contemporary music
Alex Kapranos
Talking of life pursuits, you’ve always been on Domino...
“I love my label and the people there. That’s the great side of the industry, when you make great things, it involves something deeper than just a professional relationship. That’s how I feel about Domino and my manager, Cerne Canning, too. These people are friends and that’s the secret to success. Of course, they’ve got to be capable of doing their job, but when you get that combination, God damn it feels good!”
You played a trio of grassroots shows in Scotland recently. Where do you stand on Coldplay’s move to back the Music Venue Trust via ticket sales?
“I loved that, I thought that was altruism in its purest form. I live in France now and I’m very aware that the government here is much more involved in supporting both venues and musicians. There is just a sense of respect for the industry that doesn’t exist in the UK. Britain needs an appreciation that music is both part of our economic make-up, but also our cultural identity. I strongly believe that you have to support and fund your cultural identity, otherwise you’re going to lose it, and if you lose that you lose everything.”
Do you feel the band gets the respect you deserve?
“When I go on stage, I have to empty my brain. I can’t talk to anybody because I’m very sensitive to what’s said. It could be something abstract like, ‘Ronnie Corbett was better than Ronnie Barker.’ I’ll spend the gig thinking, ‘What? Ronnie Barker was the best!’ In the same way, if I think too much about the context of the band, it’s going to mess with the thing I’m actually making.”
