Franz Ferdinand’s second album, “You Could Have It So Much Better”, was recorded in their new studio before being mixed in New York. The studio is in a Category A listed building which was built as a wedding present for James Paterson, one of the group of painters known as The Glasgow Boys, whose work may be seen in Kelvingrove Art Gallery.
Paterson’s artist’s studio has, rather appropriately, been converted into the band’s recording studio. The building is a reworking of an older cottage in the English Arts and Crafts style by the architect J.J. Burnet in 1884. We liaised with Historic Scotland to obtain their consent to the conversion and acoustic linings to create the new sound studio.
The band’s frontman, Alex Kapranos, has advocated the need for Glasgow’s finest buildings to be treated with respect and sensitivity. The Glasgow Armadillo features on the cover of their single, “Eleanor Put Your Boots On”.