Born on 20 March: Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand), the future is assured

It was in Almondsbury, in the west of the United Kingdom, that Alexander Kapranos was born in 1972.

Alex Kapranos' father is Greek, his mother English, and the family lives between these two cultures and countries: one that hosts their summer holidays and the other their everyday life.
 
As a young adult, now settled in Scotland, the aspiring singer juggles small jobs while, whenever possible, getting involved in the local music scene. He became part of various Glasgow bands, encountering audiences and recording a few tracks for the first time. Fuelled by this passion, he founded the rock group Franz Ferdinand in 2001, with Nick McCarthy and Paul Thomson. Together, they rehearsed in a disused warehouse which they jokingly nicknamed "The Castle". Spotted by a record label, success wasn't long in coming, and their second single was already a hit. "Take Me Out", the story of a somewhat shy guy asking a girl to take him out, became a hit.
 
Their self-titled album followed the same path and awards poured in, such as the Mercury Music Prize, crowning them Best British Album of the Year. The following years were rich in releases, encounters, and collaborations for Kapranos, who also indulged in another passion by writing a food column for the English daily The Guardian.
 
Franz Ferdinand is a lasting tale as, in 2022, to celebrate their 20th anniversary, the Scots released a greatest hits album, "Hits To The Head". A year later, they released their sixth studio album, "The Human Fear".
 
In addition to his talents as a singer and guitarist, Alex Kapranos shines as a producer, always on the lookout for new talent to showcase. However, it’s his heart he celebrates when he meets Clara Luciani in 2020 at a music festival. Discreet both in public and on stage, the duo married in Scotland before welcoming their first child. "He loves music and is obsessed with the record player," the singer said about their offspring.

Next concerts:

25 March: Showbox - Seattle (USA)
26/27 March: Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver (Canada)
29 March: Warfield - San Francisco (USA)
30 March: Wiltern - Los Angeles (USA)
6 June: Coopérative de Mai - Clermont-Ferrand (France)
14 June: Festi’Neuch - Neuchâtel (Switzerland)
9 July: Zuiderpark - The Hague (Netherlands)
7 June: La Sirène - La Rochelle (France)

All other dates here: https://www.songkick.com/artists/323763-franz-ferdinand

(MH with CMa - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Alex Kapranos with Franz Ferdinand on stage at the Cirque Royal in Brussels (Belgium) on 22 April 2022