Indiespect: The album title «The Human Fear» does not reflect how the album sounds. Alex mentioned in an interview that it’s about overcoming fear. You seem to be quite fearless in experimenting with different styles. «Tell Me I Should Stay», for example, starts off very classical, then it builds to a kind of circus theme, mixed with Greek influences. Was it hard to let go of borders?
Bob Hardy: When the album was being written and arranged, we made a decision. Part of it was in the light of having toured the Hits To The Head compilation record. We were just going to be as Franz Ferdinand as possible and completely unashamed about our identity as a band and to wear that on our sleeves. Tell Me I Should Stay or Black Eyelashes for example. It’s a song which has a very Greek influence. Alex is half Greek and although his love of Greek music has crept into the songs over the years, nothing to this extend. Once you've made the decision to be unashamedly, unapologetically yourself, you get that kind of freedom to explore those things.
We were just going to be as Franz Ferdinand as possible
and completely unashamed about our identity as a band and to wear that on our sleeves
Indiespect: I watched «The Making of The Human Fear». You were recording in Alex’s studio. Were you there for the whole process?
Bob Hardy: The majority of tracking was done in the studio, some overdubs were done in London and a little bit in Paris.
Franz Ferdinand (from left to right): Dino Bardot, Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Julian Corrie, Audrey Tait
Indiespect: Did that environment encourage you to be more experimental? Because you were not limited to studio time, for example?
Audrey Tait: Yeah. Because we could all be in one room and we had time to play around with the way we were recording. Whether we were playing with click or quite freely for certain sections of songs. There was total freedom. When you're in your own little world, you can just be fearless and make something that you all believe in and love. You don't need to worry too much about anybody else. I think that comes through, like Bob said. The boldness of the choices of sounds that were used.
Indiespect: The harmony within the group shines through. Was it always like that during your work on «The Human Fear»?
Bob Hardy: Are you talking about the documentary?
Indiespect: Yes.
Bob Hardy: Yeah. It's heavily edited. (laughs)
We obviously don't show you the bleak rainy days in the middle of the countryside in Scotland. That's irrelevant, it's all about the music
Indiespect: So, it hasn’t always been like that?
Bob Hardy: Well, I mean, as the process goes, I think it was a very enjoyable experience. It was one of the easiest records to make from that perspective. Everyone was getting on really well and we had great energy. There were no dramatic falling outs or anything. But we obviously don't show you the bleak rainy days in the middle of the countryside in Scotland. That's irrelevant, it's all about the music. Talking specifically about the documentary, it was quite a faithful depiction of what it was like.
«The Making of The Human Fear» is a short documentary on the new record.
Indiespect: «The Human Fear» is the first record in your current line-up that fully consists of new songs. Was it easier for you to join the band for a best of record and to play older songs on stage before being involved in working on new music?
Audrey Tait: Yeah, exactly that. It was the best way to come into the band. To embed myself into the music of Franz Ferdinand. When it came to doing the new album, I very much felt as if I'd been part of it for years. And obviously I was playing lots of songs that I already knew and had danced to as a student. Performing them on stage and watching other people jump like I did if I was at the gig. All the new stuff just came really naturally because we had been doing the back bangers for two years.
I was playing lots of songs that I already knew and had danced to as a student
Indiespect: It must feel quite different now to be touring with a new album, compared to a best of record. For you as a band it's better, I assume?
Bob Hardy: Playing new material definitely makes it more interesting for the band. I think, if you talk to any band and ask them what their favorite songs were to play in a set, it's always the new ones. I did enjoy the greatest hits tour. It was a fun experience. But we're all happy now to be playing new songs and mixing them in with the old ones.
The Human Audrey. A new force behind the drums.
Indiespect: With «Hooked» you released another electronic song, like you did for «Always Ascending». Who is the driving force behind tracks like these?
Bob Hardy: That song started with a guitar riff. Alex was playing on a guitar synthesizer. I think it was a Korg. A special guitar that activates a synth. So that sound [hums the electronic riff] is actually a guitar. But there's always been elements of electronica on Franz Ferdinand records. It certainly has synthesizers on all of them. Julian obviously is a huge electronic music nerd. He likes all that stuff. And we all enjoy that music.
Indiespect: Is there a certain way you approach your songs? Alex writes the lyrics, right?
Bob Hardy: Yes, generally. Occasionally, Alex and I will work on lyrics together. But generally he's the lyric writer. It's different every time. For example, Hooked is quite unusual on this record. It started with a riff and for a long time it was a song that didn't have any words. It just had this arrangement of riff and parts – and I hated it…
Audrey laughs
My way into music has always been through lyrics
Bob Hardy: My way into music has always been through lyrics. So, it wasn't until the lyrics were written that I really came to terms with the song, enjoyed and understood it properly. But a lot of the others, Alex had brought to the studio as finished songs, either written on a piano from start to finish or on acoustic guitar. Some were demoed quite extensively, others less so, and we arranged them as a band. Audacious, for example. Originally it was a piano song that felt completely different as on the record. It was more of an Alex Kapranos song. We thought: well, how would Franz Ferdinand play this? That's how it ended up sounding like it does. The same with Everydaydreamer. It was a guitar song. Much more straight ahead, kind of an indie guitar song. It didn't feel like Franz Ferdinand. But then it got this groove to it and suddenly it completely opened and became what it is now. So, yeah, it's different every time, really.
Bob Hardy didn't like «Hooked» before it got its lyrics.
Indiespect: Which song of the new record was the hardest to get finished?
Audrey Tait: Actually, I don't think any of them felt particularly hard, because we'd been touring for so long. The band was just sounding really good together. The main objective is to try and capture that on the record, the feeling of us playing together.
Bob Hardy: Yes. I think, Tell Me I Should Stay may have had the most post production work. It's quite unusual for a Franz Ferdinand song as well.
Audrey Tait: I guess between that and Hooked. Because it didn't have the lyrics for a while.
You can see it taking people by surprise a bit. And in the live set it actually feels more rocky than electronic.
Indiespect: You already played some shows on this tour. When I first listened to «Hooked» I thought this was made for a stage not to listen to at home. How did that one feel live?
Bob Hardy: Yeah, it's been good on the tour. We're touring with an artist called Master Peace, who's a musician from London. He's been coming up and joining us for Hooked. That has been really, really fun. But yeah, is it a highlight in the set for you?
Audrey Tait: I think it is. You can see it taking people by surprise a bit. And in the live set it actually feels more rocky than electronic. It's almost a different version.
Bob Hardy: I like it as a rock song, I have to say. Playing it live, definitely crosses into that world and I'm more into that.
Bob Hardy founded Franz Ferdinand with Alex Kapranos
Indiespect: Do you always have to arrange your songs to play live? At least the ones that are more on the electronic side?
Bob Hardy: There is a bass on Hooked. But there are certain songs, like The Doctor, where the bass is edited a bit. So it sounds more electronic. When we play it as a live band, inevitably something like that ends up sounding more like a live band harmonica rock song. But on the record, every song has the ingredients to make it playable live.
It takes that pressure of worrying about engineering, worrying about: is it a good take?
Indiespect: Audrey, you are also producing besides being the drummer of Franz Ferdinand. Julian is quite into these processes as well. Still you chose to work with a producer, Mark Ralph this time. What's the biggest advantage you get out of that and why did you decide not to do it all on your own?
Bob Hardy: The biggest advantage is for Alex and Julian, really. It takes that pressure of worrying about engineering, worrying about: is it a good take? They can just concentrate on performing. And having an outside ear, having an extra person, whose opinion you trust. That takes a lot of the weight off. Besides that Mark is just brilliant. He's just got such a great ear and he's such a great guy to have around. His musical knowledge is just immense. He gets every reference and is incredibly musical. He's an incredible guitarist, a prodigy. When he picks up a guitar, it's like an extension of his body.
Franz Ferdinand on stage in Zurich.
Indiespect: You mentioned that you listened to Franz Ferdinand when you were a student. Have you also seen the band live before you joined them?
Audrey Tait: I haven't (laughs). I've danced many times to Do You Want To in a club. But, I hadn't seen the band live before I joined.
I just loved the music, especially as a drummer. When you listen to music with great beats and good energy, it's very appealing.
Indiespect: What was your opinion on them back then? Did you just think that they're a good band and great fun.
Audrey Tait: Yeah, definitely. And coming from Glasgow. As a teenager I saw this band from Glasgow playing The Brits, winning the Mercury Prize and everything. Still, we're all really supportive of Scottish bands doing well. I've always known the band, but not personally. I just loved the music, especially as a drummer. When you listen to music with great beats and good energy, it's very appealing.
A song Audrey Tait danced to, long before joining the band.
Indiespect: How did you finally become the drummer for Franz Ferdinand? I know, you only knew Julian personally.
Bob Hardy: Yeah, we needed a drummer (laughs). We just sat in the rehearsal room, chatting about drummers. We wanted someone from Glasgow and Audrey's name was the first one to come up, really. Julian had obviously known you through the music scene. And Dino had played with one of your old bands with one of his old bands. When he played with you, he'd said to his band mates at the time: if I ever start a new band, I would want her to be the drummer. She's amazing.
We just sat in the rehearsal room, chatting about drummers. We wanted someone from Glasgow and Audrey's name was the first one to come up.
Audrey Tait: I didn't know that (laughs).
Bob Hardy: Julian followed you on Instagram. So, we all just sat around the phone, watching all your drum videos. Watching those and being like: Oh my god, it's amazing. Let's message her right now! Then you came in a few hours later and immediately when we started playing together, it just gelled really quickly and was obvious that it was going to work.
Dino Bardot always wanted to play in a band with Audrey.
Indiespect: With you and Alex being the only two founding members left, did your role within the band change?
Bob Hardy: Not really. The band started with Alex and I working together in a kitchen, talking about the idea of a band before we'd even picked up any instruments. We've continued that conversation ever since. We still approach it in the same way.
Indiespect: It’s very rare that a band stays with the same record label for such a long time like you do. What’s the reason for that?
Bob Hardy: The reason that we're still with them, is the same reason why we chose to sign with them in the first place. They're not like a major label. They really care about music as an art form. The people who work there are all just super passionate about it. Not that people of major labels aren't, they also can be. But they're not ruled by the accounting department, which major labels can be. We just built this relationship with them over the decades where I can't really imagine being signed to any other label. It's definitely the human aspect of it. You've got to know them over the last couple of years. They're just really nice people who love music and care about it.
A lot of labels are run by the accountants and the lawyers, whereas with Domino
they are all so passionate about music and just as excited as us to release the record
Audrey Tait: I think that's the difference. A lot of labels are run by the accountants and the lawyers, whereas with Domino they are all so passionate about music and just as excited as us to release the record. It's quite unusual today.
Indiespect: I imagine it also being quite freeing to have a partner like that on your back.
Bob Hardy: It's one thing you don't have to worry about. You're not paranoid about your label dropping you. We have a relationship with them. That brings security, I guess.
A group of people with shared interest in art.
Indiespect: It’s always exciting to see a music video of yours. They are true pieces of art and a joy to watch. How important is it for you to still put a lot of thoughts into making them?
Bob Hardy: We put the same attention into everything Franz Ferdinand does as we do with music. If that's the photographs, the music videos or the artwork. We care about all of it. You know, when you were a kid and you thought about the idea of being in a band and someone told you, you get to make music videos. You'd been really, really excited, right? I still feel that way about it. What a great thing to be able to do. And we have been very lucky. Over the years we've gotten to know certain directors that we really like working with. Like Andy Knowles, who made the Audacious video. And this time around we met a new Scottish director called Rianne White. She was just fantastic. 20 years in, you get quite good at spotting people. Looking at people's reels, their output and work and saying: oh, that's actually really good. I think that could work well.
Maybe some bands don't care and they just say: oh, get a graphic designer and make a cover.
But that would be like giving away part of the fun to someone else.
Indiespect: You are also a painter and are skilled in photography. Maybe this is also a reason for you to see the whole thing and not only the music.
Bob Hardy: Possibly. Maybe some bands don't care and they just say: oh, get a graphic designer and make a cover. But that would be like giving away part of the fun to someone else.
The music video for «Night Or Day» was shot in Alex Kapranos' studio where the album was recorded.
Indiespect: Do you have a favorite artwork of other artists?
Bob Hardy: I always admired Belle & Sebastian's covers because there's a through line of it. You can see a Belle & Sebastian cover and you know it's one of their albums. I also was a huge fan of theirs for the last 25 years. I kind of instinctively also go back to the past and think about Talking Heads, Roxy Music or David Bowie and their artworks. Just classics and absolutely everything's thought about.
Audrey Tait: It's been so long since I've bought a physical. I know, it's terrible.
Bob likes the through line of Belle & Sebastians cover artworks.
Indiespect: Can you name a favorite artwork of yours?
Bob Hardy: I think the new one, The Human Fear.
Indiespect: Why?
Bob Hardy: I just see it as really striking. A Hungarian artist called Dóra Maurer made the picture that we were ripping off, basically. It's called seven twists. It’s very engaging. It's an image that rewards repeated viewing. You can keep looking at it and getting more out of it. I feel like the record does that as well. Our version of it. Also, I like the way that all five of us are featured on the front of the record.
Audrey Tait: It's been quite nice when some of the fans have been sharing their version of it. They take a photo, holding it the same way as ours. It's quite cool when people can become part of the cover art.
It's an image that rewards repeated viewing. You can keep looking at it and getting more out of it
Latest and first artwork of Franz Ferdinand – «The Human Fear» and «Darts of Pleasure»
Bob Hardy: Actually another favorite is the Darts of Pleasure sleeve. The very first one we put out. It's maybe the strongest in that graphic style. And then The Human Fear as well. So it's the first and the last.
Indiespect: Did you ever think of painting one?
Bob Hardy: I did a drawing for a covers EP that we released about ten years ago. But no, I think a painting is not right. When we were using that Russian constructivist kind of style I liked how bold and graphic it is and how flat the colors are. I don't think paint is the right medium for that. It needs to be more graphic. It fits the music better.