Franz Ferdinand

Band

Photo: Mr22TJ · CC BY-SA 4.0
Active 2002-present
Origin Glasgow, Scotland
Albums 6
Tracks 67
Most frequent collaborator Rich Costey · 13 tracks
Genres Indie RockPost-Punk RevivalArt Rock
Complete Artist
100%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 67 of 67 tracks

Who writes Franz Ferdinand's songs?

Alex Kapranos, on all 67 album tracks. Nick McCarthy shares 46 of them until he left in 2016, Bob Hardy has 40, Paul Thomson 35 and Julian Corrie 14 since joining.

By the Numbers

6
Studio Albums
67
Tracks Credited
100%
Self-Written
24
Years Active
11
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 67 / 67 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 67 tracks: how many Franz Ferdinand wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Franz Ferdinand has a writing credit100%
99%
1%
Sole author66tracks99%
Co-written1tracks1%
Outside writers0tracks0%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
Franz Ferdinand's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 67 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)100%
Composer (music)100%
Producer49%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 67 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Alex Kapranos 2002-present
100%
100%
49%
100%
Bob Hardy 2002-present
60%
60%
37%
100%
Dino Bardot 2017-present
1%
1%
0%
0%
Julian Corrie 2017-present
21%
21%
0%
0%
Audrey Tait 2021-present
0%
0%
0%
0%
Nick McCarthy Former 2002-2016
69%
69%
37%
100%
Paul Thomson Former 2002-2021
52%
52%
37%
100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Franz Ferdinand's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
2004Franz Ferdinand
2005You Could Have It So Much Better
2009Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
2013Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
2018Always Ascending
2025The Human Fear
Early · 100% written
Mid · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2000s
Franz Ferdinand, You Could Have It So Much Better +1 more
100%
2010s
Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action, Always Ascending
100%
2020s
The Human Fear

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Franz Ferdinand sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Franz Ferdinand
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Michael Bublé15%
Josh Groban29%
Kelly Clarkson49%
Mario57%
Omarion67%
Miranda Lambert76%
David Bowie88%
100%Franz Ferdinand
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Take Me Out
Franz Ferdinand
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy
Wrote it
Michael
Franz Ferdinand
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy
Wrote it
Darts of Pleasure
Franz Ferdinand
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy
Wrote it
Do You Want To
You Could Have It So Much Better
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it
Walk Away
You Could Have It So Much Better
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it
The Fallen
You Could Have It So Much Better
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it
Eleanor Put Your Boots On
You Could Have It So Much Better
Written by Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Bob Hardy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it
Ulysses
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Written by Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it
No You Girls
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
Written by Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy, Paul Thomson
Wrote it

Discography 6 albums

All six studio albums. The FFS collaboration with Sparks, the EPs and the compilations sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Franz Ferdinand67 tracks
RC13Rich Costey, 13 tracks DC12Dan Carey, 12 tracks TJ11Tore Johansson, 11 tracks MR11Mark Ralph, 11 tracks PZ10Philippe Zdar, 10 tracks JG2Joe Goddard, 2 tracks AT2Alexis Taylor, 2 tracks TT2Todd Terje, 2 tracks BY2Björn Yttling, 2 tracks BC1Box Codax, 1 track AR1Alexander Ragnew, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. RC Rich Costey · DC Dan Carey · TJ Tore Johansson · MR Mark Ralph · PZ Philippe Zdar · JG Joe Goddard

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Kapranos and McCarthy write the first album as a pair, with Bob Hardy on two tracks and Paul Thomson on none. The second album opens it to all four and Tonight in 2009 credits everything to the band. Then Right Thoughts in 2013 narrows it back to Kapranos and McCarthy on all ten. McCarthy leaves in 2016 and Julian Corrie takes his place in the credits: Always Ascending gives all ten tracks to Corrie, Hardy, Kapranos and Thomson, and The Human Fear in 2025 puts Kapranos on all eleven with Corrie on four. Four different arrangements in six albums, and one name on every one of them.

Quick Facts

  • KapranosAll 67 album tracks
  • Nick McCarthy46 tracks, up to his 2016 departure
  • Studio albumsSix, from 2004 to 2025
  • The debut3.6 million copies worldwide
  • Biggest single"Take Me Out", number 3 in the UK
  • Mercury PrizeWon for the debut in 2004

Creative Fingerprint

A writing pair, then a four-way band credit, then the pair again, then a new partner, with Alex Kapranos on all of it.

The Story

Alex Kapranos is on all 67 Franz Ferdinand album tracks. Nick McCarthy is on 46 of them, and the writing credit changes shape every time the lineup does.

Awards & Recognition

Mercury Music Prize for Franz Ferdinand, 2004

Frequently Asked Questions Franz Ferdinand

Who writes Franz Ferdinand's songs?
Alex Kapranos, on all 67 album tracks. Nick McCarthy shares 46 of them until he left in 2016, Bob Hardy has 40, Paul Thomson 35 and Julian Corrie 14 since joining.
Who wrote "Take Me Out"?
Alex Kapranos and Nick McCarthy, the pair who wrote all eleven tracks on the 2004 debut. It reached number 3 in the UK.
How many albums have Franz Ferdinand released?
Six studio albums, from Franz Ferdinand in 2004 to The Human Fear in 2025. The FFS record made with Sparks is counted separately.
What changed when Nick McCarthy left?
Julian Corrie took his place in the credits. Always Ascending in 2018 credits all ten tracks to Corrie, Hardy, Kapranos and Thomson, and Corrie shares four of the eleven on The Human Fear.
Did Franz Ferdinand win the Mercury Prize?
Yes. Franz Ferdinand won the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and was nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards.
How well did the debut sell?
The album has since sold over 3.6 million copies worldwide, with over 1.27 million copies in the United Kingdom and at least 1 million copies in the US.
Which album credits the whole band?
Tonight: Franz Ferdinand, from 2009. All twelve tracks are credited to Franz Ferdinand, which the article expands as Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy and Paul Thomson.
Where are Franz Ferdinand from?
Glasgow, Scotland. They formed in 2002 and signed to Domino, the label they have stayed with for all six albums.
Who is in the band now?
Alex Kapranos and Bob Hardy from the original lineup, with Dino Bardot and Julian Corrie since 2017 and Audrey Tait since 2021.
Who wrote "Ulysses"?
Franz Ferdinand as a band: Bob Hardy, Alex Kapranos, Nick McCarthy and Paul Thomson. It reached number 20 in the UK.

Sources

Wikipedia: Franz Ferdinand Wikipedia: Franz Ferdinand discography