Franz Ferdinand Biography

The band formed in 2001 and adopted an abandoned warehouse, which they nicknamed ‘The Chateau’, to rehearse and hold music and art events.

Having been raided by the police they moved on to takeover a Victorian courthouse and jail. By 2002, they had laid down an EP's worth of material that they intended to release themselves.

However, word of mouth landed them a deal in 2003 and the EP ‘Darts of Pleasure’, was released.

‘Take Me Out’ in 2004 was a taster of success to come and ‘Franz Ferdinand’ was released in February 2004. Thanks to the award winning video for ‘Take Me Out’, more success followed with the Mercury Music Prize. The band were the first band since Oasis in 1996 to receive five nominations at the Brit Awards, and walked away with two at the 2005 ceremony.