Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand is a Glasgow-based indie rock band formed in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals).

The band's name origin is probably better known more Europeans than Americans. Franz Ferdinand (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1889 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne. His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia. This caused the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria-Hungary) and the Allies (countries allied with Serbia or Serbia's allies) to declare war on each other, starting World War I.

Kapranos has said in an interview that they viewed his assassination as a turning point - "perhaps the real start of the 20th century."

The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out"from their debut album, Franz Ferdinand. They won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize, and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released: "Take Me Out", "The Dark of the Matinée", and "This Fire".

With their three studio albums, the band sold over three million albums worldwide in 2009. Their latest studio album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
is out later this month.

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