We caught up with the charismatic Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait at their very first Download Festival! In this chat, Lee dives into the “insane” experience of touring with Ice Nine Kills, the “Funeral Portrait curse”, and his vision for bringing musical theatre to the rock stage. He gets deeply personal, opening up about how his own experiences with OCD inspired the powerful track ‘Dark Thoughts,’ and shares the incredible stories behind their huge collaborations – from Spencer Charnas on the catchy ‘Suffocate City’ to the wild story of getting a surprise phone call from Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch to feature on ‘Holy Water.’
Lee also discusses what it’s really like to tour with Ivan Moody, the importance of creating a safe space for all fans, and what’s next for the band, including a massive 290-day tour schedule and a UK run with The Rasmus!
TIME STAMPS:
00:16 – The Meaning Behind ‘Dark Thoughts’ & Living with OCD
01:53 – The Wild Story Behind the ‘Holy Water’ Collab with Ivan Moody
02:56 – What’s Ivan Moody REALLY Like on Tour?
03:28 – Being Part of the Better Noise Music Family
04:01 – Musical & Artistic Influences
05:02 – How Feeling Stuck Inspired the Hit Song ‘Suffocate City’
06:09 – Vulnerable Songwriting & Creating a Safe Space for Fans
07:55 – Describing the Band with an Object, Emoji & Sound
08:38 – First Download Experience & Touring with Ice Nine Kills
09:28 – The “Funeral Portrait Curse”
10:15 – Bringing Musical Theatre to Rock Music
10:37 – What’s Next for The Funeral Portrait? (Touring with The Rasmus)
