Franz Ferdinand have unveiled tour plans for North America in 2025. The tour, which kicks off in March in Seattle will make stops at storied venues across the country including, Warfield in San Francisco, Anthem in Washington D.C., Brooklyn Paramount in New York and more. Tickets go on fan pre-sale at 10am ET September 25th and general sale at 10am ET on September 27th at www.franzferdinand.com.
Earlier this month, the band details of their new studio album The Human Fear which will be released on Friday, January 10th 2025 on Domino. Produced with Mark Ralph, who previously worked with them on their 2013 album Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, the album showcases Franz at their most immediate, upbeat and life-affirming, unashamedly going for the pop-jugular in classic Franz style. Along with the announcement comes the music video for first single “Audacious.”
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR “AUDACIOUS” HERE
Recorded at AYR studios in Scotland, the 11-songs on The Human Fear all allude to some deep-set human fears and how overcoming and accepting these fears drives and defines our lives.
Ever since their beginnings, throwing illegal parties in condemned Glasgow buildings, Franz Ferdinand have been defined by a fresh, unfading, forward-facing outlook, a transgressive art-school perspective, but with a love of a big song and The Human Fear undoubtedly continues in this tradition; distinct yet new, musically, and creatively it’s a record eager to push forward.
Pretty much all written before they hit the studio, the idea was to have a songbook ready before they started recording and once in the studio it was all quickly executed – a lot of it recorded live with the band in the room and many of the vocals on the album being the original takes.
The first studio album to feature members Audrey Tait (drums) and Dino Bardot (guitar), the record also sees Julian Corrie step forward to collaborate with frontman Alex Kapranos and bassist Bob Hardy on songwriting and creative duties.
A band for whom the aesthetic and style is almost as important as the sound, as ever the importance of this is reflected in the cover artwork which was inspired by Hungarian artist Dóra Maurer’s self-portrait 7 Twists – Maurer’s work appealed because it does exactly what they want from their music: a striking immediacy that is impossible to ignore, but with a depth and vulnerability that bears many returns and satisfactory repetition.
Maybe this is a set of songs about fear, maybe this is a set of bangers from an era-defining band continuing their unquestionably living legacy. Is that something to be afraid of?
The Human Fear will be available on LP, Deluxe LP, CD and Digital and can be pre-ordered HERE.
The Human Fear will be available on Deluxe LP, LP, CD and cassette. The Deluxe LP is housed in a gatefold sleeve, printed on a matte UV finish, with an 8 page lyric booklet featuring exclusive imagery of the band recording the album in AYR Studios, Scotland. The exclusive Demo LP features never-before heard early demos of the album.
The band also have also announced details of a short run of U.K / EU headline shows in the early part of 2025, before which they head to South America for a headline arena tour and a number of Mexican dates alongside The Killers. The full list of shows is as follows:
September 26, 2024 – Spa Pavilion – STRATHPEFFER – SOLD OUT
September 27, 2024 – Albert Halls – STIRLING – SOLD OUT
September 28, 2024 – The Venue – DUMFRIES – SOLD OUT
October 3, 2024– Estadio 3 de Marzo – GUADALAJARA *
October 5, 2024 – Foro Sol – MEXICO CITY *
October 6, 2024 – Foro Sol – MEXICO CITY *
October 9, 2024– Estadio Banorte – MONTERREY *
October 10, 2024- Fronton Mexico – Ciudad de México, Mexico
October 12, 2024 – Festival Pulso – QUERTARO, MEXICO
November 7, 2024 – Explanada del Parque de la Exposicion – LIMA
November 9, 2024 – Fauna Primavera – SANTIAGO
November 11, 2024 – Estadio Obras – BUENOS AIRES
November 12- Montevideo- Uruguay
November 14, 2024 – Tokio Marine Hall – SÃO PAULO
November 16, 2024 – Gran Carpa – BOGOTA
November 17, 2024 – Orquideorama – MEDELLIN
February 14, 2025 – Aula Magna – LISBON
February 15, 2025 – Sala Pelican – A CORUNA
February 17, 2025 – La Riviera – MADRID
February 18, 2025 – Razzmatazz – BARCELONA
February 20, 2025 – Fabrique – MILAN
February 21, 2025 – X-Tra – ZURICH
February 22, 2025 – Muffathalle – MUNICH
February 24, 2025 – Huxleys Neue Welt – BERLIN
February 25, 2025 – Progresja – WARSAW
February 27, 2025 – La Cigale – PARIS
February 28, 2025 – Die Kantine – COLOGNE
March 1, 2025 – De Roma – ANTWERP
March 3, 2025 – Paradiso – AMSTERDAM
March 5, 2025 – Shepherds Bush Empire – LONDON
March 6, 2025 – Shepherds Bush Empire – LONDON
March 7, 2025 – Barrowlands – GLASGOW
March 24, 2025 – Showbox, Sodo – SEATTLE, WA
March 25, 2025 – Commodore – VANCOUVER, BC
March 28, 2025 – Warfield – SAN FRANCISCO, CA
March 31, 2025 – Complex – The Grand – SALT LAKE CITY, UT
April 3, 2025 – Midland – KANSAS CITY, MO
April 4, 2025 – The Fillmore – MINNEAPOLIS, MN
April 7, 2025 – Anthem – WASHINGTON, D.C.
April 8, 2025 – The Fillmore – PHILADELPHIA, PA
April 10, 2025 – Brooklyn Paramount – BROOKLYN, NY
April 12, 2025 – Orpheum – BOSTON, MA
April 14, 2025 – M Telus – MONTREAL, QB
April 15, 2025 – History – TORONTO, ON
*with The Killers
Franz Ferdinand signed to Domino in May 2003 and released their first single, “Darts Of Pleasure” shortly after. Second single, “Take Me Out” exploded onto the international stage, putting the band firmly on the global map and was a precursor to their eponymous debut album which went on to sell over 5 million copies worldwide.
Artistically always forging forward, their following albums, You Could Have It So Much Better (2005), Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009), Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013) and Always Ascending (2018) all offered a new take on the Franz template and saw them work with some of the most pioneering producers around including Dan Carey, Joe Goddard and Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip, Todd Terje and Philippe Zdar.
Their music continues to resonate globally and over the course of nearly two decades they’ve become, commercially and critically, one of the biggest UK bands globally, selling over 10 million albums, 2.5 billion streams to date, 14 platinum albums, winning GRAMMY-equivalent BRIT Awards, Ivor Novello songwriting awards & the esteemed Mercury Music Prize – along with multiple GRAMMY nominations – and selling 6 million tickets for their incendiary live show worldwide which have included headline slots at festivals such as Reading & Leeds, Rock En Seine, Primavera and All Points East. A greatest hits compilation Hits To The Head, released in 2022, was a potent reminder of how universal and loved many of their songs have been.
Discography: Franz Ferdinand (2004), You Could Have It So Much Better (2005), Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (2009), Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action (2013), Always Ascending (2018), Hits To The Head (2022).
Franz Ferdinand are: Alex Kapranos (vocals / guitar), Audrey Tait (drums), Bob Hardy (bass), Dino Bardot (guitar, backing vocals) & Julian Corrie (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals).
