11 months after hot Shaky Knees set, Franz Ferdinand returns to rock Atlanta

Franz Ferdinand is ready for more. More than two decades have passed since the Scottish band’s song “Take Me Out” launched the group to worldwide success. Now, it’s nearing the finish line of the nearly two-year touring cycle for its acclaimed sixth album “The Human Fear,” yet frontman Alex Kapranos is buzzing with optimism about the group’s collective spirit in what could understandably be a weary moment.

“We were talking last night about how good it feels, how everyone’s getting on really, really well,” he said on a recent call from his hotel room in Albany, New York. “I’m very happy with where we are.”

Understandably, as the tour itinerary shrinks, the focus shifts to what’s next. “At the end (of an album cycle) you’re desperate to write some new songs,” Kapranos said with a laugh.

But ahead of new music are a few more shows this month, including a Wednesday concert at Buckhead Theatre, just 11 months after the band’s blistering Atlanta performance at the Shaky Knees Music Festival.

Scottish band Franz Ferdinand (from left, Julian Corrie, Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Audrey Tait and Dino Bardot) returns to Atlanta for a show at Buckhead Theatre on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Franz Ferdinand)

“It was a wonderful festival, lovely atmosphere both onstage and offstage,” Kapranos said. He’s friends with several Atlanta musicians and appreciates the city’s music scene and its abundant tree cover both.

“It’s so verdant! You guys just must take it for granted because you see it every day, but it blows my mind,” he said.

The Glasgow group’s 2004 self-titled first album generated both praise and strong sales with its blend of angular, spiky art rock and highly danceable post-punk. Follow-up albums “You Could Have It So Much Better” and “Tonight: Franz Ferdinand” maintained momentum via hits such as “Do You Want To.” The bouncy “Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action” arrived in 2013, followed closely by a collaboration with Sparks for the “FFS” album and the exit of original guitarist-keyboard player Nick McCarthy.

Franz Ferdinand guitarist Dino Bardot (from left) and frontman Alex Kapranos kicked up the energy during the band's Shaky Knees 2025 set in Piedmont Park. (Ryan Fleisher for the AJC)

Keyboard player Julian Corrie arrived for 2018’s “Always Ascending,” which garnered more positive reviews, and, following its touring cycle, original drummer Paul Thomson retired. His replacement Audrey Tait and guitarist Dino Bardot joined Kapranos, Corrie and original bassist Bob Hardy in the meantime and contributed to several new songs for the 2022 compilation “Hits to the Head.” Kapranos and his wife, French singer Clara Luciani, also released a divine dual French-English cover of the Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood classic “Summer Wine” in 2020.

With a catalog chock full of anthems and experiments alike, Franz Ferdinand keeps audiences on their toes. “I always approach it the way that I want to hear music from a band myself if I’m going to a gig,” Kapranos said about set lists. “I think it’s three elements: an element of surprise; something new so I know that they’re a living artist and bringing me something that hasn’t been heard in this town before; and something that’s a classic that gives me joy to hear on the stage.”

Also, the band is always prepared to pivot. “I’ll change the order of things depending on the vibe of the crowd,” the singer-guitarist said. “As a performance it’s good to have a degree of anarchy and unpredictability — that’s where the magic lies.”

“I talked to the rest of the band just now and said my primary objective for making the next record is to make something that sounds as far removed from the box (recording/processing via computer) as possible,” singer-guitarist Alex Kapranos said. (Courtesy of Franz Ferdinand)

Songs from “The Human Fear,” recorded at the group’s own AYR Studio, are certain to be featured Wednesday at the Buckhead Theatre.

Stellar songwriting links stylistic variety on the record, with lead singles “Audacious” and “Night or Day” proving that the band’s ability to write catchy, memorable pop songs is alive and well.

Smiths legend and fellow 2025 Shaky Knees alum Johnny Marr added his shimmering guitar to “Build It Up,” which meant a lot to Kapranos. “Johnny’s a big inspiration to me, he’s one of the reasons I wanted to play guitar,” he said. “He has the air of a rock star about him because he is a rock star, but when you talk to him there’s no pretension. He’s a good example to us all.”

Another album highlight is the labyrinthine “Tell Me I Should Stay,” whose sections include a piano intro, Jamaican-style rhythmic verses and then a catchy chorus. Its genesis was a challenge from then-drummer Thomson for Kapranos to write a love song at an uncharacteristic 140 beats per minute. The singer improvised the intro in Paris during a COVID-era lockdown and then crafted the rest of the song, including the guitar hook, from those motifs.

“It was a cool challenge to write something that felt emotionally true and where I was in my life at that particular time within those parameters,” Kapranos said. “What I wanted to bring into that song was dynamic range.”

Franz Ferdinand’s members look forward to enjoying some time off come September. Meanwhile, Kapranos has written a few new pieces already.

“I have this very strong idea of how I want it to sound and how I want the process of recording to be, which is very much at odds with the way most records are made at the moment,” he said, citing the lack of dynamics in many contemporary recordings.

“I talked to the rest of the band just now and said my primary objective for making the next record is to make something that sounds as far removed from the box (recording/processing via computer) as possible.”

Beyond that technical dynamic, Kapranos is eager to see what rises to the top. “From a creative perspective, I can see where the ideas are but I don’t know where the good ideas are going to be. You stumble across them, and that’s the exciting thing that I’m looking forward to.”