Franz Ferdinand ditch guitars in favour of synths

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight belongs to them.
Franz Ferdinand: Tonight belongs to them.

Franz Fredinand have revealed that Tonight, their soon-to-be released third album, is a more electronic affair than previous efforts.

The record was produced by Dan Carey, who's also worked with the likes of Hot Chip, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen and the hotly-tipped La Roux, and will be released on 26 January.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat, Franz bassist Bob Hardy said: "There's a broader pallet of sounds, a lot more electronics and atmospherics.

"The essential difference is that there are a lot more synthesizers on the record than guitars."

That the band wanted to head in a less guitar-centric direction was made clear when they announced that they were working with pop production team Xenomania.

However, these sessions didn't work out, with Hardy telling The BBC: I don't think it was necessarily going to meld together for a whole album."

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.