GET TO KNOW: Funeral For A Friend
- Lou Viner-Flood
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
There’s a particular kind of gravity to FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND. It’s the kind that straight back to the first time Juneau blew the speakers off your bedroom wall, or when Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation felt less like a debut and more like an invitation into a world where post‑hardcore could be serrated one second and soft‑spoken the next. They were the band you found on your friend’s headphones in the middle of maths class, or buried on a compilation CD you got with a magazine, or in the humid crush of a show where you felt every drum beat in your chest.
Born in Bridgend in 2001, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND climbed fast, burned and faded away, but then came back, and, in the latest twist, kept moving even after their original frontman stepped away. Watching them now, it’s not just the nostalgia that compels you, it’s the fact they are a band always in motion - evolving, rebuilding and choosing to live. Back at the start, they didn’t arrive on the scene quietly. They emerged from the remnants of past bands, building an undeniable early identity of melodic metal, emo, and post‑hardcore.
Releasing their 2002 EP Between Order and Model cemented and sharpened their sound, before debut release Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation became their statement. It went certified Gold in the UK, becoming a landmark record of the 2000’s, and is still climbing in the plays across streaming platforms today. It was the type of album that made young people feel understood, and adults feel something they’d forgotten how to name.
The band's early years were defined by urgency, with three guitarists weaving tension, Ryan Richards’ screamed vocals ricocheting off Matt Davies‑Kreye’s melodic lines and lyrics that read like they had been ripped straight out of diary entries of any school notebook-turned-diary. With Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation as the spark, the 2005 album Hours was the burn, as a record that fully leaned into melody, but still kept its signature bite. Follow-up album Tales Don’t Tell Themselves pushed the sound even further, with a more melodic, conceptual rock pivot, which ultimately split fans but showed how the band were evolving as they grew. A run of four independently released records followed with Memory and Humanity, Welcome Home Armageddon, Conduit and Chapter and Verse, following the release of which FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND parted ways.
Throughout their time, across the records, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND shapeshifted; it wasn’t always neat and tidy, or even unanimously liked, but it was always driven by intent and an allergy to stagnation. When they finally reunited in 2019, it wasn’t for a victory lap, it was for a series of benefit shows honouring their late friend Big Stu. That emotional catalyst reignited something within the band, though it simmered for a while, until leading anniversary tours, festival appearances, and a renewed connection with fans who’d grown up but never fully moved on.
Heading out on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary for Casually Dressed in 2023 proved the songs still hit with the same tenderness and energy, with fans waiting on baited breath for new music. However, what came next was a surprise. Davies‑Kreye made the amicable decision to step away from the mic for good. His departure was rooted in life changes rather than band drama, but left fans wondering what could realistically happen now? Remaining members — Kris Coombs‑Roberts, Darran Smith, Gavin Burrough, Ryan Richards, and Rich Boucher — announced they would continue writing new music and were soon joined by Lucas Woodland of HOLDING ABSENCE for the live shows.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND are a band that always endures because they have always been more than the sum of their eras; a band that truly captured the ache many of us felt growing up, the unwavering sting of self-reflection and the catharsis of shouting lyrics that said what you were too afraid to speak in your own voice. Their discography is a map of emotional evolution; from the rawness of Juneau, to the widescreen ambition of Raise the Sails and to the emotional ferocity of History.
And now, with a new chapter unfolding, and fans waiting patiently but excitedly for new music, FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND stands not as a relic; they’re a living part of so many people’s musical DNA.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND headline 2000 Trees Festival on Friday, 10th of July.
Words: Lou Viner-Flood
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