Funeralbloom Interview

1.For those that have never heard of you before, can you tell us a little bit about the band?
Austin: Sure, we started Funeralbloom a couple years ago under a different name, The Measure Of. We played more of a melodic-hardcore/post-rock mix and had a couple releases and a tour under our belt. Our sound gradually began to change more and more until our band was almost unrecognizable to what we had started as. We don’t even live in the same place as when we started the band. Although we are still listed as being from Austin, and we still consider it the band’s home, none of us actually live there anymore as we’re all spread around Texas with members in Houston, Ft. Worth, Temple, San Marcos, and Pflugerville. With “Petals”, we were finally able to write the caliber of an album that we had always aspired to, and it’s one that I feel very accurately represents who we are as people and where our passions lie.

2.In August, you had released your first album, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording?
Nick: When we were writing "Petals" we wanted to create movement in our songs, and allow each part enough room to breathe. We wanted to create a dark atmosphere that could move from long intense sections, to slow and emotional drones.  We wanted to add as much atmosphere to black metal-esque parts as possible, then incorporate several musical techniques from post-punk, gothic and post-metal.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?
Austin: The lyrics deal a lot with inadequacy and hopelessness. The feeling that you’re never going to be able to pull yourself out of your current situation and that all the anguish you’re feeling is permanent. There’s a large focus on the self in terms of selfishness and selflessness and how they can become blurred inside of a relationship. Inside of this relationship there is a large focus on the sentimental aspects between the two people and how these feeling and actions are portrayed as amorously idiosyncratic.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name 'Funeralbloom’?
Nick: As Austin was saying earlier, we used to be called The Measure Of, but we have changed so much as people, and a band, that we decided we should probably change the name.  We like to play with dark/light imagery and aesthetics in our music and lyrics, so we needed a name that portrayed the feelings we wanted to express.  It also could be a play on the “death” of The Measure Of, and the beginning of the new chapter for our band.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and also how would you describe your stage performance?
Austin: I think my favorite show that we have played so far was in May when we played with Circle Takes The Square. It was definitely an honor and we felt absolutely privileged to be able to play with them. Our stage performance is a strange thing. It has a certain element of theatrics and like a lot of things with our band, it plays on the dark and light. Our band dresses in basically funeral attire while there are either purple, red, or white flowers everywhere. Usually by the end of the set the stage or floor is completely adorned in petals. A lot of people frankly don’t know how to react during our sets. Sometimes people start to mosh, but then quickly begin to realize that for the most part our music is not very “moshable”. We play music that one could easily relax and fall asleep to and at other times could be used for an adrenaline rush while running or at the gym. I think we can all agree though we strive to make our live show as intense and visually pleasing as possible.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
Nick: We are planning a two week winter tour of the east coast and mid-west of the United States.  We will also be looking to play the Austin, Texas area soon.

7.The ep was released on cassette by Broken World Media, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?
Austin: Yeah, they’re a label run out of Connecticut by Derrick from the band The World is a Beautiful Place. Almost all of the bands on the label except for us fall more into the Indie and Emo spectrum so we definitely seem to stick out a lot. But, fans of the label have definitely been incredibly receptive to us and the relationship doesn’t seem too strange, because before this release we had done pretty much everything DIY. So we played with a lot of screamo, emo, and indie bands so that’s where a lot of the bands we became friends with and the connections we made came from. We’re just really thankful that Derrick believed in us and took a chance on something that was so much different than what the label had previously put out.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of black metal and ambient?
 Nick: Overall, the response to “Petals” has been positive.  We have found that we have a lot of fans from Russia, and that is amazing to me. The response and reception of “Petals” was a lot more widespread than I had imagined it would be. I am quite pleased with the feedback we have received so far. I am even more amazed by the fact that we have actually reached a worldwide audience.  I, for one, never thought that would happen like it did. However, we aren’t everyones cup of tea in respects to those two genres. Fans of our more atmospheric and ambient parts have said that they think blast beats deserve no place in our kinda of music, and fans of our more black metal parts sometimes don’t relate to the baritone vocals that we incorporate into our songs.

9.Are any of the band members involved with any other musical projects?

Austin: I’m currently involved in a darkwave project called Argue with my friend Matt from the band Illustrations. We released a couple songs earlier this year and there is definitely more in the works. https://soundcloud.com/argueuntildeath

Also, our drummer Tyler plays in band called Clear Acid.

10.When  can we expect another full length and also where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?
Nick: We don’t currently have plans to release another full length any time soon, but we have been writing a few songs for something we hope to release sometime in 2015.  We are experimenting with many new things for our new material.  So far, what we are coming up with will be more post-metal than “Petals” while still retaining the post-black metal and ambient influences.  You should expect the new songs to feel darker, yet still contain positive rises and crescendos.

11.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
Nick: While I love post-black metal, I think that ambient and atmospheric music has the biggest impact on my guitar playing and writing.  Most of the guitar parts in “Petals” have a significant amount of reverb or delay, which is reminiscent of ambient styles of music.  Since I think Jad is the same way when it comes to his guitar parts, we are then able to amplify these parts with other elements of heavier genres. Right now I am listening to the new This Will Destroy You album, Hope Drone and Toluca.
Austin: I’m definitely influenced by a lot of 80’s post-punk and darkwave. Bands like The Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, Bauhaus, and Depeche Mode have been very influential in my vocal style and lyrics. I’m also known to be a tad bit Morrissey obsessed so many things he has done have leaked their way into our music. Currently I’ve been jamming his new album a ton along with the new Leonard Cohen and Merchandise albums.

12.What are some of your non musical interests?
Nick: Coffee is a big interest of mine, and basically keeps me functioning throughout the day. I also enjoy watching wrestling with some of the other members of Funeralbloom.  I'm also about to graduate from college with two majors, so that has been taking up a lot of my time that I am not devoting to music.
Austin: I’m pretty happy that soccer season has started because I’m a big Chelsea supporter. Unfortunately I’ve had to work a lot on weekends so far this year, but whenever I can I try to make it to the pub to watch the matches with a big group of supporters. Besides that I’m also a wrestling fan and get way to upset and complain about the lowest form of art.

 13.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?
just thanks for the kind words about the album and for your time

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