Chapter and Verse from Funeral For A Friend

Matt: Is it really 14 years since you guys burst onto the scene?

Matt Davies-Kreye: Yes it is even though it doesn't really feel that long.

Matt: Has your outlook changed in that time? How would you say you differ from then to now?

Matt D: Well, I guess when we started we were wide-eyed optimists without a care in the word. Now we're hardcore cynics (laughs). I guess we've learnt a lot of hard lessons over the last few years and because of those really found a more defined connection with what it is we want out of our band. I think we're more focused now than we've ever been.

Matt: Do you look back with fondness on your early music?

Matt D: Of course, each one of those songs and records is a defining moment not just in the growth or development of the band, but of us as individuals. We've had a lot of changes and made some good decisions and our fair share of bad ones, but it's not worth really having any regrets about it.

Matt: The title of the new album Chapter and Verse suggests nothing has been left out. Is this how you see it?

Matt D: I see this record as a magnifying glass on the very heart and core of what this band is musically. We've never fitted comfortably into any scene, but I guess because of our ideology and attitude the hardcore scene is the closest to what we'd call a home so Chapter and Verse is an exploration of those roots without compromising what Funeral is for us.

Matt: Who or what in particular are you talking about in the first track you’ve publicly aired, You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions?

Matt D: I guess I'm talking about me, my views and my love/hate relationship with religion in my life over the last 20 years or so. I've had various songs deal with that theme over the years so this for me is the final chapter on the subject.

Matt: An important part of being in a band is keeping things fresh, but there’s always a danger that in reinvigorating yourselves you put some distance between yourselves and your hardcore fans. How do you strike that balance?

Matt D: At the end of the day you just have to go for it and make the music that inspires you and makes you happy. We're all totally different people from when we started this band, only two of us are original members so for me having people around you that inspire you and feed your need to create is incredibly important. I'm a firm believer that the music you make should make you happy first and foremost. It's about being able to stand behind something and not have it be fake. If people can see or feel that then they'll respond to it accordingly. We're very good at being divisive so I don't see things changing anytime soon.

Matt: There are plenty of messages in your music. Is it important to you that it provokes a reaction?

Matt D: I think it's important to write about what you feel passionate about. Reactionary lyrics only work if you believe in them and the conviction is real.

Matt: Is there a topic that you would not tackle or do you think everything is fair game?

Matt D: I think most topics are fair game as long as they're relevant to you and you're passionate about the message you're trying to impart.

Matt: The album was recorded in just two weeks. I imagine, with that in mind, there is a real energy to it, the kind you might expect in a live performance?

Matt D: It sounds so full of life. I think some people might struggle with it a little, but for me it's the sound of a real band making music together. It's organic and it sounds that way, warts and all.

Matt: Talking of live performances, you are about to set out on tour. How have preparations gone and what can we expect?

Matt D: We've started throwing around songs that we want to play. We've been playing a consistent set all this year so next year is about changing things up and bringing in some songs that don't often get a fair shake as well as plenty of new stuff.