Lee From The Funeral Portrait On The Paranormal, Their Unreal Summer Tour, The New Album & More
It was great to catch up with Lee Jennings from the band The Funeral Portrait. I met Lee and the band for the first time at a ghost hunt at Eloise Asylum last week. Yes, we had quite an experience. Click on the story here, in case you missed it. It’s pretty wild.
We start off the conversation by talking about that crazy night. “That was crazy, especially since it happened toward the end of the tour. We had already done some of the fun stuff, but that scream was next level. After hitting those tools together, we heard that scream, and when the guide radioed the other group, they didn’t hear anything. That’s when it hit me—this could be something serious.” Lee told me he hadn’t experienced anything like that before. “Not really. I tend to avoid real-life creepy situations. I love the fake horror stuff, like haunted houses at Universal Studios, but the real haunted experiences are too intense for me.”
Lee Jennings From The Funeral Portrait
This interview took place right after their first arena show in Nashville. “Yes, we played at Bridgestone Arena, and it was incredible. There’s something special about indoor shows—the lighting, the atmosphere, and the feeling of being all together in one space. It was magical.”
New Funeral Portrait Album – Suffocate City
We also discuss the upcoming TFP album, Suffocate City, which drops on Friday, September 13th. Lee talks about the numerous guests on the album, including Eva from Detroit’s own Even Under Fire, Spencer Charnas from Ice Nine Kills, and more. “We’ve got some great guests on the record. Bert from The Used is on “You’re So Ugly When You Cry,” which was a dream come true for me. Spencer from Ice Nine Kills is on “Suffocate City,” and Eva from Eva Under Fire is on a new version of our song “Voodoo Doll.” Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria is also on the record, contributing to “Dark Thoughts.” We’re excited about how it all came together.”
When I asked Lee to describe the overall vibe of the band and this record, he told me, ” This record feels like home for us—it’s what we’ve been trying to do all along. There’s a little bit of everything on this album, with songs that are deeply personal to me. It’s about finding yourself, dealing with relationships, and overcoming struggles. If you’ve been a fan for ten years, or if you’re just discovering us, this album is The Funeral Portrait at its core.”
Thanks to Lee for taking the time to talk with me. I wish him and the band nothing but the best! You can listen to the audio-only version of this interview on my Talkin’ Rock with Meltdown podcast.
