Funeral Party’s Guide To Earthquake Survival

As a band name, Funeral Party implies a kind of Tim Burton-style sense of macabre fun. Was that the idea?

James: There was a general consensus to be kind of dark and macabre with that, there was also a yearning to lure in multiple cultures with one name like Funeral Party. As has been said before it sounds like a metal band, so back in the back yards where we use to play, you had to do anything to get yourself noticed. Energy was one thing, the name was another, the flyers had to look cool... it was an all encompassing thing.

Chad: We took the name from a band Tim Burton loves, The Cure.

James: I think Tim Burton’s in that band isn’t he? His alter ego is anyway! (laughs).

'Funeral' is an almost taboo word. But funeral parties always seem like a great idea, whether it's Hunter Thompson firing his own ashes through a cannon or the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico. Do you have a favourite example of a funeral party?

James: Yeah, there’s this thing in New Mexico where they build this giant puppet which is like 50 feet tall - and it has moveable limbs and mouth and everything. And they put all their bad stuff from the previous year, kids put report cards, parents put parking tickets in... and they light that shit on fire. It just walks around the city on fire... it’s pretty crazy, really awesome. And it looks so cool, the thing is scary as shit... it has big eyes, and a big mouth that opens and closes.



It's been said that your song 'Chalice' became a kind of local anthem in East LA, where you're from. Would you literally hear it randomly at parties etc

James: No, never heard our music at a party.

Chad: Our friends have said ‘Oh we heard your song at a party last night’.

James: Yeah, a bunch of kids said they were ‘dancing there asses off to this song’.

Chad: At that point of it "being the anthem" we’d barely recorded it - so everyone who had it, we have no idea of how they had it!

James: It was mainly our old percussionist who ripped all our shit, he’s a DJ too so he remixed some and started playing them in his DJ sets.

LA is susceptible to earthquakes. Have you ever experienced one, and if so - what went through your mind

James: The worst earthquake I think we’ve all experienced is the Northridge earthquake in ’94. It was insane, it was 7.0. San Diego got hit the worst and it was so bad, freeways collapsed. You could see cracks in the house that I lived in, giant cracks in the foundations and walls and everything. I woke up and everything was shaking and my dad just grabbed me and threw me outside with my mum. It went on for like 2 minutes.

Chad: The most recent one though was when we got back at 4 in morning. It was weird it was a pre earthquake and then it was a big jolt. I was sleeping and the little mini one woke me up and then it felt like someone had just got my room and rattled it. I was like ‘do I run outside?’ what shall do?'

James: Actually we were in the studio and the building leaned three feet over the parking lot. We were like 'Holy shit!' and ran outside (laughs)

There's always been this idea of New York and LA being two opposing musical zones - is that idea still around, and if so, how has it evolved?

James: A lot of bands say that New York start a lot of the trends and some LA bands have been attesting to it which is fucking retarded because... they’re just dummy’s, they’re not original at all. We’re trying to bridge the gap but at least make LA known for its own sound. That’s not really our mission statement, we just want to make good music no matter what.

Chad: It’s not like we hate New York.

James: Even though you shout ‘Fuck New York' before we do that song? (laughs) Except when we are in New York of course.

If you were to write a postcard back to LA explaining what England was like in very few words, what would you say?

James: I just did that actually.

Chad: What did you say?

James: I just put "rain, beautiful people and great music".

Kimo: Love the music culture here.

James: Crappy food , sorry. I think it’s because you guys don’t believe in MSG out here which is great - doesn’t fatten you up or anything.

Chad: You see less fat people here, your population of obese people must be really low.

James: Americans are the number one fat people in the world.

Chad: Lots of obese children, it’s disgusting.