INTERVIEW: Funeral for a Friend

ROCK giants Funeral For A Friend have proven one of the most influential bands of their generation - but would does the future hold?
Funeral For A FriendFuneral For A Friend
Funeral For A Friend

Ahead of their much-anticipated show at Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms. Guardian reporter Andrew caught up with guitarist Kris Coombs-Roberts.

“I think that with rock music in general, people have always tried to point the finger and blame it for different things,” says Kris with a heavy sigh. “What people are often less understanding of and what we want people to realise is that this music has a positive energy about that brings people together and gives them a sense of self-identity.”

Don’t be fooled by Funeral For A Friend’s aggressive sound or moody lyrics - they’ve always been a band to focus on the positive. Especially as the band’s debut album Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation helped to galvanise a generation of rock fans into a movement and inspire a new wave of bands.

“We don’t think about it really,” laughs Kris. “The band have covered quite a lot of ground over the last decade and we had to move on past that record, otherwise it’s like having a child and refusing to have any more.

“We always look forward and don’t really look back.”

After the departure of drummer Ryan Richards and the arrival of new sticksman Pat Lundy last year, the band had no choice but to look only to the future for their new album - Conduit.

“With this record, it’s not been about looking back but rediscovering the music that got us into playing rock music in the first place,” says Kris. “We’ve had the same kind of mindset as we did when we were starting out.”

“This has been our job for the last decade but we do it for the enjoyment of playing music that we can believe in, so this record is leaning more towards punk rock and hardcore.”

He adds: “There’s only one song on there which is over three minutes. The songs don’t have much breathing space.”

Changing drummers is a pretty fundamental shift for any band. How much has Pat Lundy changed the chemistry?

“Obviously the chemistry is going to change, but with the passion that he’s brought it has been a breath of fresh of air and new lease of life – especially because of his playing style.”

“He’s more of a hardcore-metal drummer and plays very, very quick. Pat is just very, very hard and you can really hear that on the record – he brings the songs to life.”

Funeral For A Friend play Rescue Rooms, Nottingham on Friday 8th February.

To read this interview in full visit www.worksopguardian.co.uk

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