Funeral for a Friend frontman Matthew Davies-Kreye leaves the band
Welsh post-hardcore band, Funeral for a Friend have announced the departure of frontman Matthew Davies-Kreye.
Notably, Davies-Kreye has been the group’s vocalist since their formation in 2001 and has sung on all their albums. The news was announced on December 4th on social media, with it clarified that the decision was made amicably. The remaining Funeral for a Friend members state they intend to continue and create new music.
“Hey folks, it’s with a heavy heart that we announce that after 20+ years, our singer and brother Matthew Davies-Kreye has decided to move on to pastures new going forward, and leaves with all our love, respect and gratitude,” the band wrote. “While Matt moves on, the rest of us have come out of our recent ’20 Years Casually Dressed’ anniversary tour with a renewed spark and desire to create new music together, for the first time in this lineup for many years.”
They added: “We’ll keep you updated on that in due course, but suffice it to say that we wouldn’t be entertaining new music if we didn’t feel the material we’re currently writing would hold up to the legacy of what we created back in the day. We hope you agree with us on that, and look forward to sharing with you next year.”
Davies-Kreye also had words on his decision, explaining: “‘I never thought, after we called it a day back in 2016, that I would get the chance to revisit Funeral for a Friend let alone the way we did with Darran and Ryan back onboard.”
He said: “Given the emotionally challenging circumstances around us coming back together to play the benefit show for Big Stu in 2019, I was so happy to see just how much love there still was for our music.”
“After the joy, fun and success of the last two tours Kris, Darran, Ryan, Gavin and Rich are eager to play more shows and explore what the band can still do creatively and I’m sure with what they have in mind their endeavours will push the band to new highs,” he continued. “For me though, this is a road that I can’t walk down. I absolutely love everyone in FFAF, I love our fans and I loved these last shows we played but my life has moved on in so many ways since we first said goodbye back in 2016 that I can’t see myself being in an active band again.”
Davies-Kreye added: “So here we are, I wish Kris, Darran, Ryan, Gav and Rich all the luck and success in the world and I know they’ll be doing an incredible job and giving it everything they’ve got as always. To all of you, I can’t thank you enough for your support over the years and I can’t wait to hear you all singing along to the band’s songs for many more years to come.”
Funeral for a Friend was formed in Bridgend, Wales, in 2001 and were adjacent to the third wave of emo. They arrived with their debut album, Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation, in 2003 and released six more albums before splitting up in 2016. They announced their reunion in 2019 and played a series of headline tours following two special fundraising gigs in aid of a terminally ill friend of the band.
Funeral for a Friend are booked to play at Slam Dunk Festival in 2024, with Lucas Woodland, the frontman of Cardiff rock band Holding Absence, due to fill in for Davies-Kreye.
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