Franz Ferdinand Archives

Back in December 2004 we asked you to send questions in for the band to answer and boy did you mail them in, in their droves - we filtered out the more lascivious ones, then picked our favourite bunch and subsequently posed them to the Boyz Franz, the results of which you can peruse below.

Jenny Quinn / 17 / Edinburgh, Scotland - The world art gallery filled with every single painting/sculptures etc in the world is on fire...but so is the world wide museum of music filled with every song ever recorded....you can only save one...which one would you save and why? Alex: Strange Fruit by Billie Holliday - Bob: The art gallery is filled with every single original piece of art, right? But there'd still be countless reproductions of each piece across the world. Does the music museum contain only the original recording, the actual master copy or EVERY copy? If the music one contains only the master copy then let it burn and then go online the next day and download all the lost songs. If it contains EVERY copy then let the art gallery burn and make do with decent reproductions. A plastercast of a sculpture is just as good as the original and an MP3 does the same job as a 7.

Rozzlyn Heltir - If you could start your own record label, completely independent of a corporate parent company, would you do it and why or why not? Alex: I wouldn't. Firstly, I don't think I'd be a good enough businessman to do justice to the career that a band I liked enough to sign would deserve. Secondly, I couldn't be bothered with whining bands calling me up all the time asking for stuff. “Do you like our new song?”, “Do you still love us?”, “Why aren't we in the NME when Razorlight/Kaisers/Bloc Party are?” Boring. Bob: Couldn't be bothered with the admin Paul: I already am. It's called New! Records. First release early next year by Pro Forma from Glasgow

Will Tesdell / 15 / New York, USA- When did you take up your various instruments? Alex: I dabbled throughout childhood and first wrote a song on the guitar at 14/15 Bob: October 2001 Paul: I was about 15, I was one of two bass players in our group, eventually we used up all the presets on the drum machine so we began rehearsing with a school friend who happened to have a drum kit. Trouble was he couldn't play the things. He slipped off to the bathroom, I got behind the kit and that was that.

Cynthia / 16 / Nova Scotia, Canada - What are your favourite pastimes other than playing music? Alex: Conversation with people I like. Being alone. Having a long, long shower, thinking about stuff. Cooking, especially for people I love. Listening to records. Cycling. Taking things apart to see why they don't work, then leaving the pieces scattered around my flat for weeks - Bob: Listening to music, painting, museums, television, sleeping, baths, email, questionnaire-style interviews - Paul: Music, reading, television, eating, leading a virtual life on the internet.

Semele Huq / 13 / Houston, USA - If you could reunite any band, living or dead, who would it be and why? Alex: The Stone Roses. It's plausible and I feel I really missed out by not seeing them at the time. - Bob: The Beatles. Cos they are like diamonds - Paul: The Yummy Fur

Cate Smith / 14 / Colorado, USA - Many other artists and bands respect and appreciate what you do, whether they be rock legends or fledgling bands. What kinds of music and/or artists do you listen to the most, and who do you actively consider to be influential to your work? Alex: As I type this, I'm Listening to a CD called Rembetika – Songs of the Greek Underground 1925-47. I might listen to a bit of Monochrome Set, Kanye West or the Stooges later. I don't know. I like a lot of different bands. I think my friends have probably been the greatest on my writing and playing. Andrew Conway, Glen Thomson, the rest of FF, Hubbie, John McKeown, Tom Worthingon – people I've talked to over the years about why music is good. Bob:Work? I try not to - Paul: The Fall, The Make Up, The Long Blondes, Fire Engines, Futureheads

Jessica Ramirez / 15 / Modesto, USA - What feeling do you get from performing and seeing all of the people you've affected? Alex: You know when you're a kid and you get a swing to go really high, ride a bike no-hands down a steep hill, jump off a diving board.? It's a little close to that kind of feeling. Bob: A very nice warm feeling. Sometimes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Paul: Exhaustion and tingles

Maddy Belton / Mature but not pensionable / Hampton, UK - Now that you have catered for your younger fans with the recent matinee show, when are you going to hold a gig suitable for your "mature" fans? I was introduced to your music when I heard "Come on Home" on a free Guardian CD and I am an avid fan. I was inspired to buy my first rock/pop CD for about 15 years when I bought your eponymous album! I would not feel comfortable at venues such as The Brixton Academy. Alex: Ha! What a great idea. I've always felt that pop music has laid too much emphasis on the transience of youth. It's a post-war thing, Frankie Lymon and Eddie Cochran are to blame. The idea that you don't feel the passions that inspires and is inspired by music because you're no longer a confused adolescent is as ridiculous as saying that you lose your sex drive as you get older. Bob: We're playing a 3 month SAGA cruise of the Mediterranean next summer. Paul: I would like to do a working men's club tour

Melissa / 14 /Los Angeles, USA - Who is your favourite actor/actress of all time? Alex: Dirk Bogarde and Bette Davis. If only they'd been in a film together. Bob: I really like Bill Murray. Paul: Steve Buscemi.

Caitlin Shearer / 15 / NSW, Australia - Who would win an arm wrestling match, between bob and Alex? Alex: Bob won the last time, I won the time before. Playing the bass strengthens the tendons astonishingly, but he has been ill recently, so I may pounce on him in his weakened state and win best of three. Paul: The bookies.

Sara Freeman / 20 / Manchester, UK - I notice you have the lyrics to the song 'Swallow, Smile' up on your website, but no one ever seems to have ever heard the track, let alone have a copy of it - do you plan to ever play it again live, or release it? Alex: We probably will play it at some point. We played it at some of our first gigs, but the arrangement was never quite right.

Caroline Ward / 16 / Sheffield, UK - If you could have prevented one song from ever being created, what would it be? Alex: Obladioblada (that's coming from a Macca fan). Bob: Good question. How about, The Best of Frank Sinatra? Paul: American Pie by D** Mc***n.

Nancy / 19 / New York, USA - Bob - You're an artist, and you have been touring for a long time. Do you ever do any of your art work while on the road? If so, what inspires you? Bob: : I don't have time to make anything whilst on tour. I like to see it as a welcome fallow period.

Suezie / Seattle, USA - Do you ever look at any of your fan sites/forums/message boards/live journal's/etc? Alex: Sometimes. Bob: We have fan sites?!

Aoife / 17 / Dublin, Ireland - If you could be any superhero who would you be? Alex: Bananaman. Bob: The laziest. Paul: Wonder Woman.

Yeojin Park / 19 / Washington D.C, USA - I'd like to know would Franz ever consider doing any Queen covers? I was listening to "Another One Bites the Dust" and thought, "Ooh, Bob could play that little bit right there," "Paul would sound awesome playing that!" and "Hmm, I wonder if Alex could sing that..." Etc Alex: Whenever I do Karaoke, I always sing Queen, so quite possibly, yes. Bob: Unfortunately Bob tried playing 'that little bit right there' and wasn't so good at it. Paul: My kits not that flash, I'm not sure I could ever "do a roger".

Caroline Calabrese / 14 / Frankfort, USA - When I saw you guys, it seemed like you guys love to perform, if so, is there anything more exciting? Alex: Getting a swing to go really high, riding a bike no-hands down a steep hill, jumping off a diving board come pretty close. I like a really good argument too. Bob: I can't think of anything more exciting than walking out on stage in front of thousands of people. Paul: Electric shocks, playing chicken on the M1.

Dagmar Sieglinde / 28 / Seattle, USA - What's each member's favourite poem? Alex: Something by Bukowski probably. Bob: The Day Lady Died, by Frank O'Hara. Paul: Anything by Pam Ayres.

Matthew Hensley / 23 / Oxford, UK - Given the fact there's the imminent U.S presidential elections on the horizon, if a general election was called tomorrow here in Britain, which party would get your allegiances? Alex: SSP [Scottish Socialist Party].

Jessica / 19 / Pennsylvania, USA - What do you all see yourselves doing in 5-10 years from now - still in Franz Ferdinand? Alex: I've no idea. I've always tried to live my life by not knowing what I'll be doing in 5 weeks time, never mind 5 years. Bob: Who knows? That's why life is exciting. Apparently. Paul: I don't know what I'll be doing in 5 -10 days time.

Diana Olano / 18 / New York, USA - Who considers themselves to be the best dancer in the band? Alex: Nick thinks he is, but Bob's the most entertaining. Bob: Paul. Paul: Me.

Sami / 16 / Melbourne, Australia - If you could save 3 things each from your burning tour bus, what would they be? Alex: Bob, Nick and Paul. Bob: Alex, Nick and Paul. Paul: I assume you mean material things.my suitcase, my hand luggage and anything I might have accidentally left on the bus while fleeing from the flames in a blind panic.

Lauren / 22 / New York, USA - In light of the news about you working with Jarvis Cocker on the next Harry Potter film - are any of you fans of the Potter series, the films or the books? Alex: I watched the first film at my mum's one Christmas. It was very entertaining. Michelle Evans / 29 / London, UK. As you become more well-known isn't 'celebrity' inevitable? The band seems to value its privacy over personal matters and have managed to juggle being accessible to fans with retaining some privacy. But surely security and safety will make this increasingly difficult as time progresses? Alex: I don't know or like to think about it too much,

Bethan Davies / 17 / Somerset, UK - What's the best part of a Jaffa Cake - the sponge, the chocolate, or the orangey bit? Alex: The cup of coffee you drink with it. Bob: The value for money. Paul: Licking the orangey bit till it dissolves, along with your tongue.