Faris Badwan | |
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 Badwan in 2006 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Faris Adam Derar Badwan (1986-09-21)21 September 1986 (age 39) 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 |
Faris Adam Derar Badwan[1] (born 21 September 1986) is an English musician, best known as the lead vocalist ofthe Horrors and as half of the duoCat's Eyes.[2]
Born inBexley, Kent[3][4] on 21 September 1986 to a Palestinian father and English mother, Badwan grew up inLeamington Spa andHillmorton,Rugby along with three brothers.[5]
Badwan attended the public schoolArnold Lodge School in Leamington Spa before obtaining a scholarship in 1999 to the exclusivepublicboarding schoolRugby School,[6] where he met future Horrors bassist andsynthesiser player 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 toLondon to studyillustration atCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2004, eventually deferring from his studies to concentrate on his musical career with the band.[10]
Badwan is best known as vocalist for the Horrors, analternative rock band formed inSouthend-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 inBoston in 2007 after he accidentally smashed a ceramic bust ofElvis Presley on stage.[12]
Prior to forming the Horrors, Faris took part in pseudo-punk band the Rotters, named after the novelThe Rotters' Club byJonathan 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 theBlack Lips song "I'll Be With You".[14] This recording appeared as aB-side on 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 Rovers supporter.
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 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, Americanhyperpop artistDorian 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]
In 2011, Faris collaborated with Canadian opera singerRachel Zeffira under the moniker Cat's Eyes, releasing theBroken Glass EP and a self-titled full-length album.
In February 2015, Cat's Eyes released the soundtrack forPeter Strickland's filmThe Duke of Burgundy.[18]
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 duoLet's Eat Grandma released 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]
Badwan's illustrations have also earned admiration; his artwork has been featured on releases by the Horrors, theCharlatans andHatcham Social,[22] and inVice 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 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]
Marc Donaldson designed RAFT's label aesthetic
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