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The Funeral Portrait

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The Funeral Portrait
Band members Lee Jennings and Homer Umbanhower, live in concert, September 2023
Band members Lee Jennings and Homer Umbanhower, live in concert, September 2023
Background information
OriginAtlanta, Georgia
Genres
Years active2014–present
Labels
Members
  • Lee Jennings
  • Cody Weissinger
  • Caleb Freihaut
  • Robert Weston
  • Homer Umbanhower

The Funeral Portrait is an American rock band hailing from Atlanta, Georgia. The group formed in 2014 and currently consists of Lee Jennings (vocals), Cody Weissinger (lead guitar), Caleb Freihaut (rhythm guitar/auxillary), Robert Weston (bass) and Homer Umbanhower (drums).[1] Their musical style has been described as a blend of emotional hardcore, punk rock, and musical theater, with lead singer and frontman Lee Jennings comparing their sound on social media to a blend of bands such as My Chemical Romance, Ghost, and Motionless In White.[2]

History

[edit]

Formerly known by the moniker “Cosmoscope” before becoming The Funeral Portrait, they released a cover of NSYNC’s “It’s Gonna Be Me” in 2013.[3] After changing to their current name, the band released their first EP For the Dearly Departed in late 2014 and their subsequent LP A Moment of Silence in 2016, both under Revival Recordings: exploring, respectively, the stages of grief on the EP and what happens after you die on the LP.[4] They have since been signed to Better Noise Music, releasing their EP Sounds from Beyond the Abyss, Vol. 1 in 2023 that includes both a cover of "Mad World" by Gary Jules and also their rendition of "Creep" by Radiohead, which was released as a single prior to the EP in partnership with the Hot Topic Foundation.[5]

Several of their most recent singles have debuted with music videos revealing “Icon” characters that have become representative of the band. "The Icons" include The Alien wearing a crown of thorns in the song “Alien,” The Angel pierced with arrows in the song “Voodoo Doll,” The Guide in the song "Dark Thoughts" and The Night Terror in the song “Generation Psycho.”[6] The band featured Bert McCracken of The Used and Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills as featured performers on the tracks "You're So Ugly When You Cry" and "Suffocate City," respectively,[7][8] with the latter becoming their first #1 Billboard-charting single on Mainstream Rock Airplay.[9]

The group has played live shows alongside many notable artists, including Underoath, Starset, Escape the Fate and August Burns Red, as well as serving as the opening act for such bands as Shinedown, Skillet, Ice Nine Kills, PVRIS, and Issues.[10] They performed as an opener for Five Finger Death Punch and Marilyn Manson on their 2024 North American summer tour.[11] The Funeral Portrait's own live shows, nicknamed by the band and their fanbase as "Devotion Ceremonies," utilize intricately designed sets, stages, and characters ("The Icons"), with the band showcasing vibrant energy in their sound and enticing their audience visually with darkly theatrical aesthetics.[12]

Musical style and themes

[edit]

The band's lyrics touch on topics such as mental health, depression, love, and anger.[13] In an interview with Technique magazine, frontman Lee Jennings elaborates on his lyrical approach, saying: “I think it’s important to have music that actually represents true feeling [...] There [are] a lot of people out there that I think it makes them feel better about themselves to know that they’re not the only ones struggling with something.”[14] In reference to their song "Suffocate City," Jennings further highlights his empathetic approach to lyricism, explaining on Blabbermouth that the song "speaks to our listeners' sense of fear: the fear of being stuck in a dead-end job, a dead-end relationship, or a dead-end financial situation. The fear of 'never getting out' is a ubiquitous experience that anyone can connect and relate to."[15]

The band's members have stated that they aim to make their community a safe space for all marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community; as frontman Lee Jennings details on The Jesea Lee Show podcast: "unlike The Funeral Portrait, many bands in their genre are afraid to speak out on behalf of the Queer community."[16] Jennings and his bandmates actively interact with their fans, dubbed the "Coffin Crew",[17] by using social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and their X account to share snippets of their life on tour: including stage photos, concert video, behind-the-scenes stories, and travel adventures. In one tweet, Jennings mentions that The Funeral Portrait is currently in its second phase, named TFP 2.0, revealing that up until 2019 the band served as a test run, since he was unsure if the project was his true calling in life. However, after seeing a rise in popularity and a cult following emerge, TFP 2.0 is now "turning it up to 11."[18]

During live shows, band members Freihaut and Weston will regularly share a kiss on stage as part of their performance, a gesture aptly named "the kiss." Jennings took to X after a show to explain a confrontation he had with someone who shared their disdain for "the kiss," stating "people like this do not belong here and [...] it just makes us want to kiss even harder."[19] In one particularly high profile incident, the band was removed as an opening act from a well-known artist's tour because said artist (unnamed by the band) would not endorse "the kiss" portion of The Funeral Portrait's performance. [20] However, in a show of further solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, the band doubled down after the cancellation by releasing a t-shirt design in partnership with Hot Topic that says "I Love When Emo Boys Kiss."[21]

Band Members

[edit]
  • Lee Jennings - lead vocals
  • Cody Weissinger - lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Caleb Freihaut - rhythm guitar, auxiliary, backing vocals
  • Robert Weston - bass
  • Homer Umbanhower - drums, percussion

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]
  • A Moment of Silence (2016)
  • Greetings From Suffocate City (2024)

Extended Plays

[edit]
  • For the Dearly Departed (2014)
  • Sounds From Beyond the Abyss (Vol.1) (2023)
  • Casanova (From Beyond the Abyss) (2024)

Singles

[edit]
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
US
Main.
[22] 		US
Hard Rock
[23] 		US
Hot
Rock
&
Alt.
Air.
"Suffocate City" (feat. Spencer Charnas) 2024 1 14 11 Greetings from Suffocate City

Music Videos

[edit]
Song Year Director Album Link
"Casanova (C'est La Vie)" 2015 Justin Reich For the Dearly Departed
"Voodoo Doll" 2022 Aaron Marsh Sounds From Beyond the Abyss (Vol. 1) /Greetings From Suffocate City [1]
"Alien" 2023 Alex Kouvatsos Greetings From Suffocate City [2]
"Generation Psycho" James Gregory Wightman [3]
"Dark Thoughts" [4]
"You're So Ugly When You Cry" 2024 [5]
"Suffocate City" [6]
"Blood Mother"

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Salinas, Sloan (2024-02-09). "True emotions: Meet the Funeral Portrait". Technique. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  2. ^ #mychemicalromance #motionlessinwhite #ghost fans: listen to this. Retrieved 2024-07-14 – via www.youtube.com.
  3. ^ "It's Gonna Be Me (Nsync cover), by Cosmoscope". Cosmoscope. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  4. ^ "Search: the funeral portrait | Bandcamp". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  5. ^ "The Funeral Portrait release their cover of "Creep" by Radiohead in partnership with the Hot Topic Foundation". 16 June 2023.
  6. ^ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+funeral+portrait
  7. ^ Walsh, Kelly (2024-04-19). "THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Enlist THE USED Vocalist BERT MCCRACKEN On New Track "You're So Ugly When You Cry" Out Today, April 19". Schneider Rondan Organization: Music. Lifestyle Hospitality. PR. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  8. ^ Blabbermouth (2024-06-21). "THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Drops New Track 'Suffocate City' Feat. SPENCER CHARNAS Of ICE NINE KILLS". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  9. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2024-11-08). "The Funeral Portrait Earns First No. 1 With 'Suffocate City'". Billboard. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  10. ^ "THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT". Schneider Rondan Organization: Music. Lifestyle Hospitality. PR. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  11. ^ Walsh, Kelly (2024-05-01). "Emo Rockers THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT To Join Five Finger Death Punch, Marilyn Manson, & Slaughter To Prevail on Summer N. American Tour". Schneider Rondan Organization: Music. Lifestyle Hospitality. PR. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  12. ^ Blabbermouth (2024-06-21). "THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Drops New Track 'Suffocate City' Feat. SPENCER CHARNAS Of ICE NINE KILLS". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  13. ^ "The Artist Spotlight: The Funeral Portrait". 97.7 QLZ. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  14. ^ Salinas, Sloan (2024-02-09). "True emotions: Meet the Funeral Portrait". Technique. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  15. ^ Blabbermouth (2024-06-21). "THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT Drops New Track 'Suffocate City' Feat. SPENCER CHARNAS Of ICE NINE KILLS". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 2024-07-18.
  16. ^ Lee, Jesea (2023-12-01). The Jesea Lee Show: The Funeral Portrait loves when emo boys kiss, Hot Topic, rebranding active rock, LiveNation, TikTok (23:16-25:22 timestamp) (Podcast). Retrieved 2024-07-15 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Salinas, Sloan (2024-02-09). "True emotions: Meet the Funeral Portrait". Technique. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  18. ^ "Lee Jennings mentions TFP 1.0 and TFP 2.0 in X post".
  19. ^ "Lee Jennings on the band's X account denouncing a homophobic encounter at a live show".
  20. ^ https://x.com/TFP_devotion/status/1670194500973608961
  21. ^ "The Funeral Portrait Emo Boys Kiss T-Shirt". Hot Topic. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
  22. ^ "Mainstream Rock Airplay: Week of November 16, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
  23. ^ "Hot Hard Rock Songs: Week of November 16, 2024". Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
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