Faris Badwan

Faris Badwan
Faris Badwan of The Horrors/Cat's Eyes
Badwan performing with The Horrors in 2014
Background information
Birth name Faris Adam 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
Instruments Vocals, guitar, keyboards
Years active 2005–present
Labels Loog
Stolen Transmission
Polydor
XL Recordings
Associated acts The Horrors, The Rotters, Lumina, Cat's Eyes
Notable instruments
Fender Mustang

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

Early life

Born in Bexley, Kent on 21 September 1986 to a Palestinian father and English mother, Badwan grew up in Warwickshire along with three brothers. In 1999, Badwan obtained a scholarship to the exclusive public boarding school Rugby School, where he met Horrors bassist Tomethy Furse.[2] Continuing his education, Badwan moved to London to study illustration at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004,[3] eventually deferring from his studies to concentrate on his musical career with the band.[4]

Musical career

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 is 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.[5] Badwan and his band were thrown out of a concert in Massachusetts in 2007 after he accidentally smashed a ceramic bust of Elvis Presley on stage.[6]

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

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".[7] This recording appeared as a B-side on the Black Lips single "Drugs".[7]


Badwan's illustrations have also earned him admirers, he has had his work featured on releases by The Horrors, the Charlatans and Hatcham Social,[3] and VICE magazine has done a feature on his work. His 'Drawing A Straight Number Nine' exhibition featured a drawing series of 100 new works by the frontman and took place in London.[8] Due to its popularity it was then taken to Milan, Italy.[3]

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

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

In early 2015, Faris and Tarik Badwan announced that they would be launching RAFT Records, in partnership with Vinyl Factory. They collaborated with renowned designer Marc Donaldson to create the label aesthetic. The first release was a four-track double 7" EP, featuring Skinny Girl Diet, Niqab, Puffer and Jet Black, with more releases planned for later in the year.

In February 2015, Cat's Eyes recorded the soundtrack for Peter Strickland's film The Duke of Burgundy.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Dorian Lynskey. "When Cat's Eyes met Ron Arad | Culture". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  2. ↑ "The Horrors know fame is nothing to be frightened of - Features - Music". The Independent. 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "The Horrors' Faris Badwan for Milan art show", NME, 16 October 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
  4. ↑ Paphides, Pete (2006) "The rocking Horrors show", The Times, 18 August 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
  5. ↑ "Horrors Singer Attacked During CMJ Performance", SPIN, 1 November 2006, retrieved 2010-11-06
  6. ↑ "The Horrors Thrown Out Of Concert Venue", contactmusic.com, 16 March 2007, retrieved 2010-11-06
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "The Horrors' Faris Badwan to release Black Lips cover", NME, 7 August 2009, retrieved 2010-11-06
  8. ↑ "The Horrors' Faris Badwan to exhibit his art in London", NME, 7 July 2010, retrieved 2010-11-06
  9. ↑ 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