BY: JOEY REAMS
Paul Thomson, the longtime drummer that started Franz Ferdinand, has announced he is leaving the band. Thomson has been with the Scottish rock band since its 2002 inception. The band’s last album with him was their 2018 Always Ascending. Franz Ferdinand doesn’t often make lineup changes. Their original lineup, consisting of lead singer Alex Kapranos, guitarist Nick McCarthy, and bassist Bob Hardy, stayed together until 2016 when McCarthy left the band. As a result, the band added Dino Bardot on guitar and Julian Corrie on the keyboard. Now, the band gets ready to add Audrey Tait to fill in for Thomson.
“After nearly 20 years, the time has come for this boy to step aside,” Thomson wrote on the band’s Instagram. “I never imagined in 2002 that life would have all of this in-store. It’s been like a dream, and I’m still processing. I want to thank each of you that bought a record, came to a concert and shared all these experiences with me. I will never forget it. Franz Ferdinand was, is, and always will be family and a huge part of me. My words and smile are so easy now.”