Franz Ferdinand: named after the Austrian archduke whose assassination triggered World War I, these Scottish hell-raisers are causing another kind of international incident

Interview, April, 2004 by Milena Selkirk

Franz Ferdinand are no strangers to crime and punishment. The Scottish rock quartet's self-titled debut was written entirely in a disused 19th-century penitentiary in a rusty section of Glasgow, which the band took over and sought to remake as a hub for the city's burgeoning art scene. "We just wanted a place where we could play, put on art shows, and screen films, and we knew there were places that were abandoned and free," explains singer-guitarist Alex Kapranos. Determined to lend a legendary air to the space, rechristened "the Chateau," the group commissioned local artists to cover the walls with drawings and murals and invited musicians to play shows at unseemly decibels. Ironically, the group relocated their base of operations to the prison after the art-deco warehouse in which the Chateau was originally housed was shut down by the police, who wound up raiding the venue and arresting Kapranos. "The arrangement we had with the owner was that as long as we didn't draw too much attention to ourselves, we were okay," says Kapranos. "We did exactly what we were told not to do."

Now, Franz Ferdinand are attracting attention not just for the wild, dandified festivals of art-school decadence they host at the Chateau, but for their pop-savvy songwriting. Their first full-length, Franz Ferdinand (Domino), is a revelation, rife with bouncing bass lines, asymmetric riffs, and sing-along choruses--including one in German--featuring Kapranos's ironically detached vocals over staccato verses and new-wave interludes. With their infectious single "Take Me Out" scaling the British charts, Franz Ferdinand are now making noise outside their bohemian enclave, carrying a bit of their hometown spirit with them wherever they go. "There's not so much a Glasgow sound, but a Glasgow attitude," chuckles Kapranos. "It's a very independent, can-do ethic. People will give even the most out-there things a go. We Glaswegians are quite irrepressible in that way."

Milena Selkirk is a contributing editor for Dazed and Confused. Above (clockwise from bottom): Paul Thomson wears a top by BURBERRY PRORSUM. Alex Kapranos wears a shirt and pants by PRADA. Shoes by HELMUT LANG. Sash by CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION. Nick McCarthy wears clothes and shoes by HELMUT LANG. Bob Hardy wears a shirt by CALVIN KLEIN COLLECTION. Pants by CK CALVIN KLEIN JEANS. Shoes by SERGIO ROSSI. Styling: EVAN ROSS/frocknyc.com. Grooming: KARL GIANT/Stephan Knoll. Fashion details page 181. Photo: AARON COBBETT.