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Funeral For A Friend
 "The writing process for this album was a lot different to anything we have done before. We had a lot more freedom for this record because it's the first one we have actually written without being on the road during its development. We essentially took time off to start writing and it felt like there was a lot less pressure on us than previous times, which was strange but very enjoyable. I mean we still argued a great deal about some things. But overall I think we came out with one of our best CDs yet," guitarist Kris Coombs-Roberts for Funeral For A Friend explains.
'Tales Don't Tell Themselves' is Funeral For A Friend's third full-length release and showcases a much more mature sound than the predecessors. This Welsh quintet has almost undergone a self-evolution, with their newer tracks based around an anthem-based rock not too dissimilar to icons like U2. This latest album reveals that the band has in fact shied away from their former screamo roots and progressed into a resilient force in the world of rock.
"We did not have any preconceived ideas of how this record was going to sound when we actually sat down to start writing. Our approach is that if it sounds good and it feels good, then it's right for the album. Some of the songs, well I don't think we realised how sonically huge they sounded. Like we would record a cool sequence which we had made up, then listen back to it and say to each other 'Fucking hell that sounds alright'," he laughs. "Basically, we write music for ourselves; this is what we wanted with the album and that's how we judge it. We don't want to sound like bands like U2, but we do want to play stadiums all the same."
Possibly losing some fans with their latest release because of their progression, there is an enormous likelihood, even probability that this five-piece are about to win a lot more new fans with the extensive touring schedule they have planned. With infectious pop melodies and addictive choruses, Funeral For A Friend might find themselves playing stadium shows much sooner than they had imagined.
"We have just finished our stint on Warped tour which was a blast, because we have done it a few times before, and we had a whole bunch of friends this time around, like Gallows [UK melodic hardcore band] who are from our homeland. There were also bands we have played with before on tours like Taste Of Chaos and others including Killswitch Engage. So it was a lot of fun, but a bit too hot and hectic. We had actually just finished a US tour with Fightstar [UK alternate rock band] and Alexisonfire [Canadian screamo band] before we got on the Warped tour, so we were somewhat prepared, but in reality the whole touring regime is just starting again.
"The response so far with our newer material has been pretty cool. I mean we did not expect fans of our older songs to really love the new stuff, and that has been the case. But we feel this album is something you have to give some time to in order to enjoy it, much more than our previous albums. A lot of people have been appreciative of our development and respected where we headed. It hasn't been an easy transition, but we have found new fans and still kept a whole chunk of the old ones."
This touring regime that Kris speaks so enthusiastically about is in fact stopping in Australia after a quick tour of Japan. Performing at every major capital city in our fair nation for the third time in just three years, this announcement is sure to make a lot of Australian fans very happy. "We love Australia; we couldn't wait to come back. Besides the UK it's my favourite place to play. You have an amazing country and the crowds are really great and we get treated amazingly; it's just super fun. I mean you have sunshine, which we barely have back home, so we love that!
"The first time we came with the Taste Of Chaos, we had no idea what to expect, but it was just astounding to see every person we could in the crowd sing every word. It was quite a scene; we seriously thought we had sold all those millions of albums in just Australia alone," he laughs.
Will Oakeshott
Funeral For A Friend play Fowler's Live on Thurs 13 Sept with Bayside (US) and Dopamine (UK).
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