Funeral For A Friend
FUNERAL For A Friend conclude a short UK tour in Northampton on Tuesday. With their fourth album under their belt, the Welsh rockers released their latest single, Rules and Games, on Monday.
The Guide spoke to frontman Matt Davies about the single, the latest album and their plans for the future.
Davies explains that Rules and Games looks at manipulation and passing the buck over responsibility.
He said: "The whole controversy over the spate of suicides in our area a few years ago was sensationalised by certain media; blame was placed on rock music and bands like ourselves being responsible for warping the minds of teenagers."
"The song is a look at this and an analysis of that way of thinking.
"When one band gets tarred with that brush if affects us all and anyone who is not familiar or doesn't understand the scene of music we're a part of thinks everyone is the same."
According to national reports 24 young people from Bridgend county and surrounding areas are believed to have killed themselves since 2007.
Davies hit out at certain papers for sensationalising the deaths and linking them to pacts, social networking websites and genres of music.
"Certain newspapers run ahead of themselves, putting the blame without putting any sort of thought or educated reasoning behind it," he says.
"It leaves bands like us and the people involved feeling angry and bitter towards our society, I guess.
"As much as I would like to think it would change and people would be more open minded I think it'll continue that way, it's been that way since rock music came to a forefront in the 1950s.
"It's rubbed people the wrong way, more often that not the conservative element, it's quite a liberal musical movement really.
"It's going to always have its detractors and people who find it offensive and say it is warping the minds of people but these people tend to just not even choose to see it for themselves."
Davies is joined in Funeral For A Friend by guitarist Kris Roberts, drummer Ryan Richards, guitarist Darran Smith and new bass player Gavin Burrough.
The band formed at the turn of the century and their latest album, Memory And Humanity, was released last year on their own label, Join Us Record.
The album was released exactly five years to the day from their critically acclaimed debut, Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation.
Its follow-up, Hours, was released in 2005 and Tales Don't Tell Themselves in 2007.
Their latest album was recorded in Cardiff with Romesh Dodangoda, and according to Davies it's the band's darkest and most poignant record to date, while he also says
it's the rawest, most honest and energetic-sounding album of their career.
The band recently returned from a month-long tour of America and shows in Japan and Australia.
"The reaction to the album has been really positive, it's the first album we did under or own steam and the support for the record and the band is stronger than it's ever
been," explains Davies.
"Every record is a learning curve and we try to progress and learn from our mistakes.
"We're always striving to better ourselves and this record has amalgamated the strengths of the band quite cohesively.
"I think people have come to realise that with us, I think this is the strongest album we've done since our first and I think a lot of people realise the effort we've put in."
Davies went on to reveal that, while no dates have been confirmed, he expects Funeral For A Friend will make appearances at festivals across the country this summer and could also be back out on the road later this year.
He also said the band was working on new material which could be released later this year but in the meantime have been working on ensuring their new bassist is firmly settled in.
"Gavin came in a bit on the fly but now we'll be putting some new material in the set that we haven't played for a while," he explains.
"He's a great guy and brings a new dynamic to the band."
Funeral For A Friend play the Roadmender on Tuesday.
They will be joined by We Are The Ocean and People In Planes.
Tickets are sold out. For more information visit www.myspace.com/funeralforafriend.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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