Franz Ferdinand announce new single ‘Audacious’

9 September, 2024

Franz Ferdinand performs during Day Two of the Fnac Live Paris 2023 at Grande Scene Du Parvis De l'Hotel De Ville on June 29, 2023 in Paris, France. (Photo by Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Franz Ferdinand have announced their brand new single ‘Audacious’ will be released later this week.

The Scottish rock band took to their official social media accounts to share a video teaser of their new track which sees Miaoux Miaoux – real name Julian Victor Corrie, the band’s keyboard and synthesizer player – turn the left as he looks at something that completely grabs his attention and leaves him in a state of surprise.

‘Audacious’ is set for release this Wednesday (September 11) and is available to be pre-saved here. Along with the new single, the indie icons are also expected to release a new album in the near future.

The band’s last full-length release was 2018’s ‘Always Ascending’. In a four-star review of the LP, NME shared: “Things conclude with the Donna Summer mirrorball shimmer of ‘Glimpse Of Love’, the inescapable disco fun of ‘Feel The Love Go’ and ghostly and cinematic outro ‘Slow Don’t Kill Me Slow’. Franz’s trademark guitars are there, but not at the forefront. Instead synths are at the heart, alongside an irresistible dedication to having a good time. “I don’t want to make a record that sounds like one some other c**t made,” [frontman] Alex Kapranos told NME in October last year. Well, no other c**t could have done.”

Earlier this year, Franz Ferdinand celebrated the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. The LP arrived on February 9 2004 – reaching Number Three on the charts, containing the hit singles ‘Take Me Out’, ‘Michael’, ‘The Dark Of The Matinee’ and ‘This Fire’, and going on to win the Mercury Music Prize and become known as an indie classic.

To celebrate two decades of their debut, the band also re-released the album on coloured vinyl. Back in 2022, the band released ‘Hits To The Head’, their compilation LP which featured singles and fan favourites from Franz’s five albums and new track in the form of ‘Curious’.

“‘Curious’ is quite a different-sounding song,” Kapranos previously told NME. “Sonically, it’s more at the silky dance floor end of what the band is about. That one’s about imagining yourself in a situation at the beginning of a romantic relationship, being part of the magical moments and suddenly being overwhelmed by the sense of what’s to come and wondering how you will be when repetition, routine and the everyday is what your relationship becomes.

In 2021, the band announced the departure of their drummer Paul Thomson. The following year, the group welcomed Audrey Tait as a replacement, with Kapranos hailing her as “incredible”.

Speaking about Thomson’s departure, Kapranos said: “Paul’s my best mate. While I was devastated that I wasn’t going to be playing music with him, his life and his happiness is more important than that, so it made sense.”

Going on to speak about Tait’s reputation as a “brilliant” drummer in the Glasgow area, Kapranos told NME: “Like with a conversation, if you play with someone for the first time and it just clicks, then it’s just easy,” he admitted. “It’s how it should be. You can express yourself with no self-consciousness. It just feels good and the band sound great. Of course it’s going to sound different to how it did with Paul because she’s a different personality.

“After finding out what a drummer she was, we’ve also found out what she’s like as a person. She’s a great laugh, funny, smart and great to have around.”

In other news, the ‘Take Me Out’ hitmakers recently announced details of a trio of live shows in Scotland later this month.

The dates kick off on September 26 with an opening night at the Spa Pavilion in Strathpeffer, and continue the following night with a slot at the Albert Halls in Stirling. From there, they wrap up with a final show at The Venue in Dumfries on September 28. Any remaining tickets are available here.

Franz Ferdinand’s upcoming live shows are:

SEPTEMBER 2024
26 – Spa Pavilion, Strathpeffer
27 – Albert Halls, Stirling
28 – The Venue, Dumfries

Elsewhere, Kapranos recently hit out at the RAC after his vehicle broke down on a motorway. The musician posted a string comments on X complaining that he had been waiting for 15 hours before the breakdown service assisted him.

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