Faris Badwan
Badwan in 2006
Badwan in 2006
Background information
Birth nameFaris Adam Derar Badwan
Born (1986-09-21) 21 September 1986
Bexley, Kent, England
OriginLeamington Spa/Rugby, England
GenresNeo-psychedelia, post-punk revival, shoegazing, garage rock revival, alternative rock, classical
Occupation(s)Musician, vocalist, artist
Instrument(s)Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active2005–present
LabelsLoog
Stolen Transmission
Polydor
XL Recordings

Faris Adam Derar Badwan[1] (born 21 September 1986) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the Horrors, and more recently as half of Cat's Eyes.[2]

Early life

Born in Bexley, Kent[3][4] on 21 September 1986 to a Palestinian father and English mother, Badwan grew up in Leamington Spa and Hillmorton, Rugby along with three brothers.[5]

Badwan attended the public school Arnold Lodge School in Leamington Spa before obtaining a scholarship in 1999 to the exclusive public boarding school Rugby School,[6] where he met future Horrors bassist and synthesiser player Tom Cowan, also known as Tom Furse.[7][8] When Badwan was 12 he became friends with future music producer Sophie.[9] Continuing his education, Badwan moved to London to study illustration at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004, eventually deferring from his studies to concentrate on his musical career with the band.[10]

Musical career

Badwan in 2014

Badwan is best known as vocalist for the Horrors, an alternative rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea in 2005. Their debut album, Strange House, was released in 2007. Badwan became notorious for his onstage activities, which have featured violence, the use of black paint to mark audience members, scaling anything available and using items found in the stage area to antagonise the audience.[11] Badwan and his band were thrown out of venue Great Scott in Boston in 2007 after he accidentally smashed a ceramic bust of Elvis Presley on stage.[12]

Prior to forming the Horrors, Faris took part in pseudo-punk band the Rotters, named after the novel The Rotters' Club by Jonathan Coe.[13]

Faris released a one-off single under the pseudonym of Lumina, teaming up with ex-Ipso Facto member Cherish Kaya to record a cover of the Black Lips song "I'll Be With You".[14] This recording appeared as a B-side on the Black Lips single "Drugs".[14]

Faris appeared on the TV show Soccer AM, scoring in the spot kick challenge. He talked about his love of football, confirming that he is a Blackburn Rovers supporter.

In early 2015, Faris and his brother Tarik Badwan (lead singer of Loom),[15] announced that they would be launching RAFT Records, in partnership with Vinyl Factory. They collaborated with renowned designer Marc Donaldson to create the label's aesthetic.[16] The first release was a four-track double 7-inch EP featuring Skinny Girl Diet, Niqab, Puffer and Jet Black.

On September 21, 2020, American hyperpop artist Dorian Electra announced their project, My Agenda, with Badwan appearing as a featured artist on the track “Iron Fist”. The album was released on October 16, 2020.[17]

Cat's Eyes

In 2011, Faris collaborated with Canadian opera singer Rachel Zeffira under the moniker Cat's Eyes, releasing the Broken Glass EP and a self-titled full-length album.

In February 2015, Cat's Eyes released the soundtrack for Peter Strickland's film The Duke of Burgundy.[18]

Production

In 2016 Badwan produced "Stained", the debut single by acclaimed London-based band, HMLTD.

In February 2017, Hercules & Love Affair released the single "Controller", featuring Badwan on vocals.[19]

In 2018, the Norwich-based duo Let's Eat Grandma released their second album, "I'm All Ears", featuring two songs co-written and produced by Badwan and Sophie, "Hot Pink" and "It's Not Just Me".[20] The LP went on to win Album of the Year at the Q Awards, where Badwan presented the band with their award.[21]

Artwork

Badwan's illustrations have also earned admiration; his artwork has been featured on releases by the Horrors, the Charlatans and Hatcham Social,[22] and in Vice magazine.

His "Drawing a Straight Number Nine" exhibition in London featured a drawing series of 100 new works by the frontman.[23] Due to its popularity, it was then taken to Milan, Italy.[22]

In September 2021, Badwan's new exhibition, "Call and Response", opened at the Masterpiece Gallery in Dubai.[24] A collection of paintings inspired by phone conversations during the pandemic, Badwan "utilised each call to document and decipher the unintentional interpretations of conversation". In an interview with Emirati publication The National, Badwan explained, “I’ve always been interested in the looseness and natural feeling of the drawings you make when you’re on the phone – when your mind is completely clear and you are having a conversation, meanwhile your hand is engaged in some parallel dialogue.”[25]

References

  1. ↑ "BMI | Repertoire Search". Repertoire.bmi.com.
  2. ↑ Dorian Lynskey (16 August 2011). "When Cat's Eyes met Ron Arad | Culture". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Interview: Faris Badwan, The Horrors". Nativemonster.com. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  4. ↑ "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006". Findmypast.co.uk.
  5. ↑ McAlpine, Fraser. "BBC - Chart Blog: The Horrors: Night Time Is The Fright Time". Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  6. ↑ Fox, Aine (6 April 2016). "Watch Midland band 'gatecrashes' Buckingham Palace to perform song". Birminghammail.co.uk.
  7. ↑ "The Horrors know fame is nothing to be frightened of - Features - Music". The Independent. 15 July 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "The Horrors' Tom Furse Shares New Music". Clashmusic.com. 3 January 2014.
  9. ↑ Badwan, Faris (4 February 2021). "My friend SOPHIE". i-D. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  10. ↑ Paphides, Pete (2006) "The rocking Horrors show", The Times, 18 August 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
  11. ↑ "Horrors Singer Attacked During CMJ Performance", SPIN, 1 November 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
  12. ↑ "The Horrors Thrown Out Of Concert Venue", contactmusic.com, 16 March 2007, retrieved 2010-11-06
  13. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (2 May 2014). "Strange Fascination: Inside The Cult of The Horrors". theskinny.co.uk. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  14. 1 2 "The Horrors' Faris Badwan to release Black Lips cover", NME, 7 August 2009, retrieved 2010-11-06
  15. ↑ "Radar Band of the Week - No. 127: Loom". NME. 27 April 2013. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  16. ↑ Marc Donaldson. "Raft Records". Retrieved 31 August 2015. Marc Donaldson designed RAFT's label aesthetic
  17. ↑ "Dorian Electra announces new project 'My Agenda' | News". diymag.com. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  18. ↑ Dennis, Jon (2015) "Cat’s Eyes: The Duke of Burgundy soundtrack review – eerie beauty from Faris Badwan and Rachel Zeffira", The Guardian, 12 February 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2015
  19. ↑ Pearce, Sheldon (9 February 2017). "Hercules and Love Affair Share New Song Featuring the Horrors' Faris Badwan: Listen". Pitchfork.com.
  20. ↑ Snapes, Laura (29 June 2018). "Let's Eat Grandma: I'm All Ears review – bold, intense pop that gets under the skin". The Guardian.
  21. ↑ "Q Awards 2018 Winners". Bauermedia.co.uk. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  22. 1 2 "The Horrors' Faris Badwan for Milan art show", NME, 16 October 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
  23. ↑ "The Horrors' Faris Badwan to exhibit his art in London", NME, 7 July 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
  24. ↑ "Masterpiece Fine Art brings eccentric artist Faris Badwan to the UAE".
  25. ↑ "The Art of Conversation - Faris Badwan's phone call-inspired paintings". 12 November 2021.
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