Interview with Funeral for a Friend
After some trouble getting through we finally managed to get hold of front man Matt and quiz him about the new album, new members, their new line of FFAF toys and why he'll punch anyone who says a bad word against the band.
Why did you decide to put together what is essentially a 'best of' album?
We didn't really have the idea of doing the 'best of', it was brought to us by our record label, they wanted to put out a compilation of our material. We were aware of it and it was up to us whether we were involved and whether we wanted to make it kick ass or not and possibly have it not be representative of what we think of as FFAF. So we decided to be heavily involved in it and make it our own little baby with four new songs and a track listing of our choosing. Together with the artwork which is basically from our own family collections. We feel it's important to have something which feels like the band were involved – that we've had our fingers in it!
It's been fun to see it through to completion, although I don't agree with the term 'best of'. It's cheesy! We've only been together for seven years, I think it's flattering that there are people out there who think we're worthy of such things and thats a nice feeling as long as the importance of what we do comes across.
Anthology seems a more appropriate term because it's a chapter in our history because we still have a future ahead of us and I'd hate to think that we'd have to release a 'best of part 2'!
How did you guys decide which songs got included and which didn't?
We all kind of put a list together and all came up with the same songs! I don't know how that occurred because we never agree in any other aspect of the band normally! But we all agreed. We think the songs that had been singled out are like the classic tracks or hits, so to speak, and are probably the most representative across the board from each album. And I think there are some people out there who would have liked a few more obscure tracks but you've got to remember that possibly there are people out there who may have heard of us in passing, who don't really know which record to pick up of ours and this, 'Your History Is Mine', will be a good jumping on point for them. You can look at it from both angles. Pretty much 80% of these songs I haven't heard since we recorded them apart from playing them live!
Really?!
When we had the cd back to listen to them it was weird hearing the recorded versions again rather than the version I hear in my head of how we play it! It definitely keeps the poignancy and the love and the passion that the old school fans feel about the band with the track listing but allows new people to come in to the FFAF camp and experience a cross section of what we're about.
The anthology consists of mostly 'previously loved' tracks..
Well worn favourites yes!
And four new tracks with your new bassist. Do you think that will help introduce fans to him?
Yes I think so. We've toured with him before with his other band over the years and he's come into the band as a fan of what we do, so when it cam to writing the four new songs he brought to the table what he loved about Funeral, things that we perhaps took for granted y'know? Things that we became a bit complacent with over the years, in our 'immortal search for progress' and (laughing) musical satisfaction. He helped us remember what made being in Funeral really kick ass and exciting. Another way to look at the 'best of' is like a closing chapter of our formative years, and with Gav and the four new songs we can look ahead. So fans get the start and the middle of the FFAF movie – we have the crescendo coming up, it's awesome!
So did you steal the bassist, did you thieve him away from his other band?
I don't think we thieved him away. We thieved Ryan once upon a time because we asked our other drummer to leave, politely, because he had other commitments and we begged Ryan to play with us because we had couple of sessions lined up that we couldn't cancel. He came in as a stand-in and that was ok for us at the time. He'd been in the front row watching and had been in bands with Darren before, he loved the band and he jumped at the opportunity and never left! The band he was in moved on so it was all ok even though that was the band that Gavin was at the time too! So they gave up Ryan and then a couple of years down the line they gave up Gavin as well so it's a bit of a weird one I think, Ryan's masterminding the whole thing where we're becoming his old band!
Will he change you for the other lead singer to complete the process?
I don't think so! Aint no body replacing me!
Are there any songs that you wanted on the new album that didn't make the cut?
Erm, there's probably a few. Theres always ones that you feel quite strong about that you've written and you want to get a second chance. 'Hospitality' off our 'hours' record is a song that we've never ever played live. It's a song that is quite epic on the record and we've even begun to challenge ourselves by attempting to play it live. Maybe that will change one day. I think it's never been played because theres an extremely high vocal part, a harmony that really needs to be right and I don't think that anyone one the band has a voice that will do it!
You're going to have to get the tight jeans out!
It would have t be a very , very, very tight pair! At the end of the day when it came to choosing the songs we are a democracy and when it came down to it we did pick all the same songs! It was fate that those songs would be on the record.
Was it quite surprising that you all picked the same songs?
Yeah, because normally we fight like cat and dog, we all have differences of opinions which I think is healthy in a band and when it comes to being creative, usually we all have little arguments about insignificant little things so it was comforting and surprising that we could all agree on the track listing! I think somebody wanted 'Monsters', which we released as a single, but it was either that or 'Walk Away' and I think we played 'Walk Away' more live so that's what made the decision on that one.
I've read that you're considering only releasing EP's from now on, is that true?
We've thought about it, ways to make the whole industry more exciting for us, the whole process. It's still open at the moment and we are writing currently as we're going along. We'll see, they may be EP's, it might be that we write so much material that we make another album, or double album, or triple album! I don't know what the hell we'll do, but we're writing quite a lot at the moment and it's nice to be in that position where the ideas are coming quite freely and we'll see. It'll be next year when we make a decision.
So why did you put these four new tracks on the anthology rather than wait for a whole albums worth?
Well we wanted to justify making the anthology and justify fans buying it, to entice them to the record. We didn't even really think about it, we knew we wanted to include some new songs but we were looking at one to start with but as we were writing and coming up with ideas we played them to various people and they loved them so much and we looked at them in a different light and though hell, why don't we put them on the record. These were the first four songs we wrote with Gavin. So we thought let's put these bad boys on there!
I suppose that goes back to earlier when you didn't like the idea of a traditional best of, so you're giving people something new?
Yeah, we treat these things as if we were fans of ours, we are our biggest fans and we wanna get the best out of what we do, it's selfish but we figured why not? Who's gonna say no? And if they did then we'd fight'em! We'd make them spit teeth! Couple of knee caps, bit of bruising y'know?
Now is that a boy thing, a FFAF thing or a Welsh thing?
All three wrapped into one! It's our Holy Trinity! When you're artistic some people don't get it and some people feel certain ways, especially when it comes to the artsy-fartsy stuff that we do. I cant explain, we love what we do and we will fight anybody who says otherwise. We even fought another band in sumo outfits because of our different artistic beliefs. We'll do anything to support our cause.
Will we see little plasticine versions of you guys on Celebrity Deathmatch?
Possibly! We're looking at a line of fully poseable action figures at the moment. They're far more buff than what we are.
Are you serious?
No of course I'm not! I wish I was though, that would be amazing! Fully poseable with different hair-dos, you can choose the different hair-do's I've had over the years! I'm copyrighting this now, this conversation!
Damn it, I was going to be minted by Christmas! Now your very last date on the tour is our hometown of Norwich..
Technically it isn't. We've added date, I think it's a Vans show. But we'll say that Norwich is the last show...
Brilliant! So what can Norwich expect from you?
Sweat! I was going to say blood, sweat and tears but I think we've done with the tears now like, we've had all the aches and pains in our teething years. Oh, and put-downs. Last time I was in Norwich somebody made a comment about my mother and I put him down. It was one of my finest put downs, I think he said that my mother was sucking cocks in hell, and I said at least your mother's there to keep her company. I owned his ass that night. Last time we were in The Waterfront in Norwich we picked out a random crowd member to sing along with me for one of our songs, it was fantastic. So we'll have plenty of in-person karaoke, so to speak, and frolics, fun and frolics...
Fun and frolics with Funeral For A Friend! Well I will see you when you play Norwich soon.
And I'll ask you to come up on stage and sing with me!
I can't sing at all!
Don't worry neither can I!
Lenore
FFAF hit the UEA on Thursday 29th October. For tickets, go to www.ueaticketbookings.co.uk or call 01603 508050.
