Taking 10 Years To Learn Who We Are

The Funeral Portrait

Cris Cohen: You talked about the value of the 10-year grind that this band had reaching this point. With Greetings From Suffocate City, how is this a better album because of that 10-year grind?

Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait: We weren't concerned about other people. It was way more about what's happening right now in this band, what we want to say, what we want to do… taking 10 years to learn who we are to create the record that we want to create.

Cris Cohen: Because in the past maybe you would have rushed it out?

Lee Jennings: Yes. We finished it at the end of 2021. It took about two years to write and record it. Then at the end of 2023 we had demos of new songs, but the record was still not out. We showed Lexi, our A&R, the songs. She's like, “Those have to be on the record.” If we would have just rushed it out, “You're So Ugly When You Cry,” “Hearse For Two,” “Chernobyl,” “Happier Than You” wouldn't have been on the record. Half the record wouldn't be what the record is.