EASY AS
Franz Ferdinand head for the Book Festival to share their songwriting secrets. Words: Doug Johnstone.
Writing songs is as easy at: tailing M? a ii it But don't Just take our ‘.'.’lll:l for it. ask l hilt.’ Ferdinand. That‘s exactl; i.'.hat you ran ili it you're one of the people lucky eni “wilt ti i uet a halloted ticket for their went at this year's Uni i‘i-t Festival.
DC‘.'lS(3(l as a liillllly eyr-nt aime'l at teenagers. the hands Alex Kapranos £ill(l Nick lvli‘llartlw Will he discussing how they go ahout ‘.'.'lllll‘i(l songs. something they get asked ahout all the time. apparently.
“Yeah. we're planning on giving away all our songwriting secrets] grins McCarthy mischievously. 'Kitls come up to us and ask MON they can possibly write a song. and hopefully With this event we'll show people hex: easy it is. We're going to take a few of our songs apart. and show how we wrote something like ‘Take Me Out” or 'l/licliael‘f
That's not all. The pair will he attempting to write a song there and then. wrth the Willng asssistance of the audieiiee. and :naylie even recording the results. McCarthy admits he has no idea viJl'iOther this Will galork or not. but insists this is in keeping With new the hand (to things anyway.
'Each song is alts/(his written (tilteieritlyj he says. Sometimes someone ‘.'./lll come in ‘f/llll a Chorus and we'll Jam that for a while; other times we'll piece hits ot songs togi'2ther. That's how "Take Me Out" came about. It's horinr; to Just do the ohmous thing ~ we're always looking at new ‘4‘."Eiy s ol writingf
McCarthy then goes on to enthuse about all sons of different songyvriting styles. from the Beach Boys mulls-layered pop genius. to the operatic mayhem of Bohemian Rhapsody" Via some good old two-chord punk rock.
'The main thing is listening to ihusic.' he says. ‘Just being a musu: fan and listening to what other people do gives you ideas]
The band are prolific songwriters. wrth only a small fraction of their output ever seeing the light of day. So how do they know a good song when they hear one?
‘It's pretty Simplef says McCarthy. ‘When every/body‘s got a smile on their face. then it's a good one.‘
I 22 Aug. 4.30pm. SOLD OUT. We have two pairs of tickets to give away to readers aged 72- 78. Simply emai/ editor’ry/istcouk before 77 Aug. answering the question What was the name of Franz Ferd/hands first Sing/e?
' THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 13