The band's debut full-length album Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation was released in October 2003. Various singles were lifted off this, including Bullet Theory, Juneau (Juno on previous EPs), She Drove Me To Daytime TV and Escape Artists Never Die. After a B-side to Escape Artists Never Die was released as a single, this was called You Want Romance? the video was sequal to Bullet Theory
A DVD named Spilling Blood In 8MM was released only a year after, documenting every music video, including the two from the EPs 10:45 Amsterdam Conversations and This Year's Most Open Heartbreak, live footage, and the first album's promotion tour, discography, chronology and an exclusive video for Juneau acoustic
In the United States, the EP Seven Ways To Scream Your Name was released instead. It featured three of the tracks from Four Ways To Scream Your Name, three from Between Order And Model and a further unreleased track. The debut was released later.
The second album Hours was released in 2005. Streetcar, Monsters, History and Roses for the Dead have been released as singles.
Funeral For A Friend released the first single, off their 3rd album, Into Oblivion (Reunion) on May 7th 2007 and the album Tales Don't Tell Themselves was released on May 14th 2007. The album caused much controversy with fans of their earlier albums, especially with fans of their EPs and 'Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation', due to a major change in their sound to a more melodic version of their earlier post-hardcore. The band then released the ninth track on Tales Don't Tell Themselves Walk Away. Then the release of The Great Wide Open came in a form of an EP highlighting the bands earlier part of their career containing not only the single The Great Wide Open but live versions of most of their older EP songs.
FFAF released a new album in 2008 via their newly formed label Join Us, after leaving Atlantic. On the 27th August 2008, it was announced that the band had licensed their new record to Victory Records for the U.S. and Canadian releases. The album was released via the label on October 28, 2008. It was also released via Roadrunner Records in the rest of the world, apart from the UK, where it was released through the band's own label, Join Us.
On September 4, 2008, it was announced via a MySpace blog post that Gareth Davies had left the band, to be replaced by Gavin Burrough (Hondo Maclean, Ghostlines, The Future). "As some of you may know, Gareth has been living in America for the past couple of years, and recently got married. Ultimately, the strain of travelling between continents has taken it's toll and Gareth made the decision that it would be in the best interests of himself, his family and Funeral to leave the band. We totally respect and understand his choice, wish him all the best in his future and we thank him for being part of our lives for the past 6 years."
On June 24, 2009 it was revealed in Kerrang! magazine that the band were to release a greatest hits album, entitled Your History Is Mine: 2002-2009, on September 28, 2009. The compilation is to also contain four brand new tracks, which will be the first new material released by the band since the arrival of Burrough.
On April 26, 2010, Funeral for a Friend wrote on their forum about their lineup change, paying homage to the departure of their friend Darran Smith, but also announcing the new member. Gavin Burrough changed instrument from bass to guitar, taking over Darran's place as guitarist, and Richard Boucher became the new bassist of Funeral for a Friend.
On May 3, 2010 the band announced that they will be releasing a special new EP to fans who "pledged" through website pledgemusic.com, the "pledge" options include the EP, a signed EP and even an acoustic performance by the band at a fan's residence.[12] On July 1, 2010 the band revealed that the EP will be titled "The Young and Defenseless" and also revealed the cover art. The EP was subsequently released for download on September 6, 2010 and physical release was a week later. Towards the end of October 2010 they finished a session of recording for a new album for which a name and date were yet to be announced. On 2 November, they played two new songs, confirmed to be on this album (which was announced as due for release in March 2011), called "Man Alive" and "Front Row Seats to the End of the World". Another song title was confirmed as "Spinning Over the Island."
On 10 January 2011, the band released the official video for the album's leading single "Front Row Seats to the End of the World" and announced their fifth studio album would be called Welcome Home Armageddon. On 24 January, it was announced that the album was to be released by Good Fight Music, a move that would reconnect the band with the original label team that released Seven Ways to Scream Your Name and Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation. Welcome Home Armageddon was released 14 March 2011 in Britain through Distiller Records and 15 March in the United States through Good Fight and later on distributed through Roadrunner to the rest of the world.
On 22 May 2012, Ryan Richards announced that he was leaving the band. He cited his family as the reason, saying: “I’ve always put music first in my life – but the time has come now for my family to take the top spot”. It was the band's initial intention that Richards would not be replaced instantly and that the band would only look for a touring member to play for the band. However, it was announced on that Pat Lundy would be joining the band as Richards' replacement. Lundy is the former drummer of London-based heavy metal band Rise to Remain, having left the band in January 2012. Funeral for a Friend spent all of 2012, bar their brief festival appearances writing and recording for their sixth studio album. Over the year they released several studio updates showing the band members tracking different instruments for the album.
On 4 October of that year the band confirmed the title and release date of their sixth album Conduit for a 28 January 2013 release in the United Kingdom and on 5 February 2013 through The End Records In the United States.
On 28 September 2014, Funeral for a Friend debuted the lead single from their forthcoming album Chapter and Verse, titled "You've Got a Bad Case of the Religions" on the Rock Show on BBC Radio 1. The band then announced the album's release date of January 19, 2015 as well as a UK/European Tour in support of the album.
On 14 September 2015, Funeral for a Friend announced their breakup and the 'Last Chance to Dance' final tour across Australia, Germany and the UK, which spanned from February to April 2016; they played two subsequent nights on each stop of the tour, performing Hours and Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation in their entirety (alongside other songs) on the first and second night respectively.
In August 2019, Funeral for a Friend announced two special reunion concerts, with the proceedings going to the family of a terminally ill friend of the band. The two shows were set to be on 28 and 29 October at The Globe in Cardiff and O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London. As well as members Matt Davies-Kreye, Kris Coombs-Roberts, Gav Burrough, and Richard Boucher, the band will be joined by former guitarist Darran Smith and drummer/screamer Ryan Richards. After the initial two dates sold out quickly, the Cardiff show was upgraded from The Globe to the Cardiff Student Union, and a second Cardiff date was added for 27 October.
On 27 January 2020, Download festival announced their upcoming performance as part of the 2020 lineup. The festival would be cancelled in April, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. In September 2021, the band were a late addition to Slam Dunk festival. In July 2020, the band announced that they would be touring the UK in April 2021 playing songs from Casually-dressed & deep in Conversation, Hours, and Tales don't tell themselves, also due to COVID-19 the tour dates were postponed, taking place in early March 2022. After the initial dates sold out, the band added two additional dates in Cardiff and London and upgraded the venues for Manchester and Glasgow, which was then followed up with four additional dates in Leeds, Bristol, and Bournemouth alongside a third London date at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Due to illness, Richard Boucher was replaced on bass for the last 4 shows by the band's guitar-tech Steve Nash.
Official site
Brazilian fansite
Best Friends and Hospital Beds
Funeral for a Friend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into a mirror I don't recognize myself anymore.
The deepest blacks, the empty greys
There is no going back, there is no in-between.
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose?
When I'm speaking out to a quiet crowd
And at the back of the hall the eyes are silent
[x2]
Words mean nothing but empty providence,
All for a God that doesn't seem to care
Who lives and who dies, these are no choices.
Each like a body broken struck from the face of a man.
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose?
Who knows what to say?
When I'm speaking out to a quiet crowd
And at the back of the hall the eyes are silent
[x2]
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose?
Who knows what to say?
When I'm speaking out to a quiet crowd
And at the back of the hall the eyes are silent
[x2]
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
The lyrics of "Best Friends and Hospital Beds" by Funeral for a Friend speak to themes of loss, grief, and loneliness. The opening lines describe the physical manifestation of the emotional turmoil the singer is experiencing. "Cold hard lines, across my face / Into a mirror I don't recognize myself anymore" suggests a feeling of disconnect with the self. The subsequent lines, "The deepest blacks, the empty greys / There is no going back, there is no in-between," emphasize the singer's sense of hopelessness and the lack of options available to them.
The chorus serves as a refrain, repeating the question, "How many friends can I lose before it all makes sense?" This query speaks to the idea that perhaps there is some deeper meaning or purpose to the singer's losses. They are searching for a greater understanding of the world and their place in it.
The second verse describes the difficulty of finding solace or understanding within religion or spirituality. The lines, "Words mean nothing but empty providence / All for a God that doesn't seem to care" suggest a questioning of religious beliefs in the face of tragedy. The final repetition of the chorus serves as a plea for answers and understanding.
Overall, "Best Friends and Hospital Beds" speaks to the complex emotions surrounding loss and grief, and the difficulty of finding meaning or understanding in the face of tragedy.
Line by Line Meaning
Cold hard lines, across my face
My face shows visible signs of pain and grief.
Into a mirror I don't recognize myself anymore.
My current state of emotions and experiences have caused me to lose touch with who I am.
The deepest blacks, the empty greys
I feel sadness and emptiness to a great extent.
There is no going back, there is no in-between.
I feel trapped in my current emotional state with no easy way out.
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
I question the value of relationships when I experience the loss of so many close friends.
Who knows what to say?
I feel helpless and uncertain of what to do or say in my time of pain.
When I'm speaking out to a quiet crowd
Even when I try to express myself, it feels like no one is there to listen or offer guidance.
And at the back of the hall the eyes are silent [x2]
I feel like I am being watched and judged, but no one is stepping forward to help or comfort me.
Words mean nothing but empty providence,
I don't find comfort in words of support or religious beliefs.
All for a God that doesn't seem to care
I question the existence of a higher power who would allow so much pain and suffering in the world.
Who lives and who dies, these are no choices.
I feel helpless to control the outcomes of the circumstances causing my pain.
Each like a body broken struck from the face of a man.
I feel like I am losing parts of myself with each instance of loss.
How many friends can I loose?
I fear losing even more friends and loved ones and feel powerless to stop it.
How many friends can I loose before it all makes sense?
I struggle to understand the reason or meaning behind so much loss and pain.
Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
SleepStarIgnition
The lead guitar riff in the chorus is fucking phenomenal.
Vinny Venom
This has been my favorite band, for as long as I can remember, they've gotten me through some tough times
Jamie Ward
Amen brother
Tara Wells
@Vinny Venom couldn’t agree more.
They created that amazing metal songs but they actually meant something.
What is you favourite album?
‘Casually dressed and deep in conversation on my end’
I equally love the art work but I can’t remember for the life of me the photographer who first created this style.
I don’t know how heavy you like but Gojira are good for heavy metal combined with purpose.
So sad to see them not together….also reminds me how old I am living my old dreams where I had friends that weren’t tied down and wanted to go out on the scene
Vinny Venom
@Chris H aw man I know! I like your taste in music my dude!
FFAF's style was so unique and deep! Not to sound pretentious but I think their beautiful, heartfelt, passionate and poetic style is the reason they weren't bigger, it was just too deep for most! Maybe they'll do some reunion stuff one day
Chris H
Damn shame they aren't together anymore. Kills me every day. Just put it on repeat and all is ok
Felipe Santos
I don't have words to explain how awesome this song and band are
P C
I actually met these guys in one of my local pubs and the bassist played me on a game of Mario Kart. I lost but it was so fucking awesome to actually meet them!!
TheTonyandhisguitar
i hope they'll finally get the worldwide recognition that they deserve with that album
Alex
Wow, I started listening to these lads when I was 13 or so, now at 22 I am still listening. It's amazing to think that this band is still as good as when I first started listening, it really shows how quality they are