We’ve all heard the music of Sparks and Franz Ferdinand but have you ever thought about what they’d sound like combined? Well, me neither, but now we can because the bands have formed a supergroup wonderfully titled FFS.
How Did the Collaboration Come About?
There’s a clear link between Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. Sparks, made up of Russell and Ron Mael, is one of the most unique sounding bands you’ll ever hear, and they’ve been making great music since the 1970s. The vocal intonation and piano tracks are particularly distinctive, and their influence can be heard in the music of Franz Ferdinand.
But how did they team up? Well, it started eleven years ago when the bands met each other, and Ron and Russell wrote the song that became FFS’s debut single. But nothing ever advanced after that point. The project was kick-started nine years later in 2013, and we’re now hearing the results!
What Does it Sound Like?
In many ways, the sound is exactly what you’d expect from the project, and that’s a huge compliment. The band manages to sound unique while still incorporating the sounds and ideas we already associate with both Franz Ferdinand and Sparks. This means we have the combined vocal talents Russell Mael and Alex Kapranos, as well as the spiky melodies and riffs.
So far, we’ve heard three songs. The debut single, the one that started life eleven years ago, is called Piss Off. The name of the song seems to be a rejection of radio friendliness and a signal of the daring music we’ll hear on the finished album. The other two songs are Johnny Delusional and Collaborations Don’t Work.
How do They Achieve Their Sound?
Sparks was always Russell on Vocals and Ron on the keyboard, and that is the same for FFS. Alex from Franz Ferdinand shares vocal duties, and the rest of the Franz Ferdinand members play their usual instruments.
The big part of the sound derives from the distinctive vocals of both Russell and Alex. They combine their voices perfectly, remaining distinct yet harmonized. They also use the best digital pianos to create a crescendo of hypnotic rhythms that rise and fall throughout the tracks we’ve heard so far.
What Does the Future Hold for FFS?
The next big date on the horizon for FFS is 9th June; that’s when the band’s debut album will be released. It remains to be seen what the other nine songs on the album will offer up, but if they’re as good as the three we’ve heard, we’re in for a treat. After that, the band will be off on a tour to promote the album around the world.
There’s also been some talk about a new film coming out. The band organized for a film crew to record the process of getting together writing songs and recording them in the studio. It’s not clear if the film will be released yet, but I certainly hope it does.
It’ll be very interesting to see where FFS go from here!