Franz Nicolay

Who is Franz Nicolay?

Franz Nicolay is an American multi-instrumentalist and composer currently based in Brooklyn, New York. He is perhaps best known for playing the accordion and the piano in The World/Inferno Friendship Society and playing keyboards in The Hold Steady from 2005 to 2010. He is also notable for founding Anti-Social Music, a composer/performer collective based in New York City, and for performing in the gypsy-klezmer troupe Guignol.

Beyond his long-term association with these groups, Nicolay has worked as a producer, arranger, session player, and collaborator with many other bands, including Mischief Brew, Leftöver Crack, The Dresden Dolls, The Loved Ones, and The Living End. He has performed or guested with bands including Frank Turner, Star Fucking Hipsters, and Against Me!.