Funeral For A Friend talk small venues: “I love the closeness, that’s what it’s really about”

It’s that time again: bags are packed, trains are booked and Edinburgh is busy preparing itself for the arrival of Dr. Martens’ #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour, in association with DIY. By the looks of it, if headliners Funeral For A Friend have anything to do with it, the first show of 2014 is set to get rowdy.

Having spent the majority of the year playing a smattering of shows and making a handful of festival appearances, the main priority for Welsh five-piece Funeral For A Friend has recently been making a new album. “We wanted to make a record that felt alive and organic without having too many unnecessary layers, and without sacrificing what this band is,” offers frontman Matt Davies-Kreye. For the follow-up to 2013’s ‘Conduit’, they joined Lewis Johns at The Ranch in Southampton. “Lewis really helped us to nail that ideal,” he continues. “We wanted to capture the sound of five guys playing their instruments, having fun and pushing themselves to make something different, something unique, and I really think we achieved that.”

They’ve not just been looking forward either; earlier this year, the band indulged themselves in a little bit of nostalgia when they spent three headline shows performing their second record ‘Hours’ in full. “It’s been fun,” Matt reaffirms. “We still play a lot of the older songs in the set but to actually play them in a significant context is really cool. For the longest time, ‘Hours’ has been a benchmark for me in terms of how I view our band and it was cool to get out there and play all of it, especially as there were songs that we had never even played live before. The final show of the tour was at the Camden Underworld and it was amazing, so much energy, so many voices. It was possibly the perfect show.”

They’re hoping to recreate that same energy when they perform as part of the #STANDFORSOMETHING Tour, too. After all, there’s nothing like getting sweaty in a venue as intimate as Cabaret Voltaire. “I love the closeness,” he confirms, “and the feeling of being right there in the thick of it with everyone. Seeing people singing and dancing right there with you, losing themselves in the moment… that’s what it’s really about.”