Faris Adam Derar Badwan[1](born 21 September 1986) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist ofthe Horrorsand as half of the duoCat's Eyes.[2]
Faris Badwan | |
|---|---|
 Badwan in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Faris Adam Derar Badwan |
| Born | 21 September 1986 Bexley,Kent, England |
| Origin | Leamington Spa/Rugby,England |
| Genres | Neo-psychedelia,post-punk revival,shoegazing,garage rock revival,alternative rock,classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, vocalist, artist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals,guitar,keyboards |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Loog Stolen Transmission Polydor XL Recordings |
Early life
editBorn inBexley,Kent[3][4]on 21 September 1986 to a Palestinian father and English mother, Badwan grew up inLeamington SpaandHillmorton,Rugbyalong with three brothers.[5]
Badwan attended the public schoolArnold Lodge Schoolin Leamington Spa before obtaining a scholarship in 1999 to the exclusivepublicboarding schoolRugby School,[6]where he met future Horrors bassist andsynthesiserplayer Tom Cowan, also known as Tom Furse.[7][8]When Badwan was 12 he became friends with future music producerSophie.[9]Continuing his education, Badwan moved toLondonto studyillustrationatCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Designin 2004, eventually deferring from his studies to concentrate on his musical career with the band.[10]
Musical career
edit
Badwan is best known as vocalist for the Horrors, analternative rockband formed inSouthend-on-Seain 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 inBostonin 2007 after he accidentally smashed a ceramic bust ofElvis Presleyon stage.[12]
Prior to forming the Horrors, Faris took part in pseudo-punk band the Rotters, named after the novelThe Rotters' ClubbyJonathan Coe.[13]
Faris released a one-off single under the pseudonym of Lumina, teaming up with ex-Ipso Factomember Cherish Kaya to record a cover of theBlack Lipssong "I'll Be With You".[14]This recording appeared as aB-sideon the Black Lips single "Drugs".[14]
Faris appeared on the TV showSoccer AM,scoring in the spot kick challenge. He talked about his love of football, confirming that he is aBlackburn Roverssupporter.
In early 2015, Faris and his brother Tarik Badwan (lead singer ofLoom),[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 featuringSkinny Girl Diet,Niqab, Puffer and Jet Black.
On September 21, 2020, AmericanhyperpopartistDorian Electraannounced 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
editIn 2011, Faris collaborated with Canadian opera singerRachel Zeffiraunder the moniker Cat's Eyes, releasing theBroken GlassEP and a self-titled full-length album.
In February 2015, Cat's Eyes released the soundtrack forPeter Strickland's filmThe Duke of Burgundy.[18]
Production
editIn 2016 Badwan produced "Stained", the debut single by acclaimed London-based band,HMLTD.
In February 2017,Hercules & Love Affairreleased the single "Controller", featuring Badwan on vocals.[19]
In 2018, the Norwich-based duoLet's Eat Grandmareleased their second album, "I'm All Ears",featuring two songs co-written and produced by Badwan andSophie,"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
editBadwan's illustrations have also earned admiration; his artwork has been featured on releases by the Horrors, theCharlatansandHatcham Social,[22]and inVicemagazine.
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 toMilan,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
edit- ^"BMI | Repertoire Search".Repertoire.bmi.com.
- ^Dorian Lynskey (16 August 2011)."When Cat's Eyes met Ron Arad | Culture".The Guardian.Retrieved26 August2014.
- ^"Interview: Faris Badwan, The Horrors".Nativemonster.com.Retrieved17 April2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006".Findmypast.co.uk.
- ^McAlpine, Fraser."BBC - Chart Blog: The Horrors: Night Time Is The Fright Time".Retrieved17 April2016.
- ^Fox, Aine (6 April 2016)."Watch Midland band 'gatecrashes' Buckingham Palace to perform song".Birminghammail.co.uk.
- ^"The Horrors know fame is nothing to be frightened of - Features - Music".The Independent.15 July 2011.Retrieved26 August2014.
- ^"The Horrors' Tom Furse Shares New Music".Clashmusic.com.3 January 2014.
- ^Badwan, Faris (4 February 2021)."My friend SOPHIE".i-D.Retrieved18 February2021.
- ^Paphides, Pete (2006) "The rocking Horrors show",The Times,18 August 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^"Horrors Singer Attacked During CMJ Performance",SPIN,1 November 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^"The Horrors Thrown Out Of Concert Venue",contactmusic.com, 16 March 2007, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^Monroe, Jazz (2 May 2014)."Strange Fascination: Inside The Cult of The Horrors".theskinny.co.uk.Retrieved20 June2015.
- ^ab"The Horrors' Faris Badwan to release Black Lips cover",NME,7 August 2009, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^"Radar Band of the Week - No. 127: Loom".NME.27 April 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 27 April 2013.Retrieved18 August2020.
- ^Marc Donaldson."Raft Records".Retrieved31 August2015.
Marc Donaldson designed RAFT's label aesthetic
- ^"Dorian Electra announces new project 'My Agenda' | News".diymag.com.22 September 2020.Retrieved30 July2021.
- ^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
- ^Pearce, Sheldon (9 February 2017)."Hercules and Love Affair Share New Song Featuring the Horrors' Faris Badwan: Listen".Pitchfork.com.
- ^Snapes, Laura (29 June 2018)."Let's Eat Grandma: I'm All Ears review – bold, intense pop that gets under the skin".The Guardian.
- ^"Q Awards 2018 Winners".Bauermedia.co.uk.17 October 2018.Retrieved25 March2019.
- ^ab"The Horrors' Faris Badwan for Milan art show",NME,16 October 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^"The Horrors' Faris Badwan to exhibit his art in London",NME,7 July 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
- ^"Masterpiece Fine Art brings eccentric artist Faris Badwan to the UAE".
- ^"The Art of Conversation - Faris Badwan's phone call-inspired paintings".12 November 2021.