Interviews About Albums: The Funeral March - Persephone (2023)

In this new interview, we sat down with the American Gothic Rock/Post-Punk band The Funeral March to ask some questions about their latest album "Persephone". 

1. What can you say about this new EP/CD?

This release was truly a labor of love… We started working on it in January of 2021 a period when I wasn’t sure what the future of the band was going to be. Things had not been clicking for a while with the previous lineup, and I wasn’t sure what the path forward would be. I almost made a crucial mistake, as I was planning on telling my guitarist (Wayne Thiele) that it wasn’t working out… I decided that I needed to re-evaluate how I was going to proceed with the new material I was writing, and based on my previous interactions with him, I just wasn’t getting what I was looking for.

Lucky for me, I decided that I would have him come in and work with just me on one track… If I couldn’t convey my intentions without the distractions of the whole group in the room, then I felt like it would be best to part ways at that point…

I was never pleased more than to be wrong about it! In that first session not only did we nail the one track, but we actually got 2 fully fleshed out! This amount of progress continued and we ended up with 11 tracks demoed by mid-April. Then we had to find the right person to mix and master what would end up being the 5-song e.p...

After kicking around names for a bit, we finally settled on Adam Stilson of Decades Music, who had done a lot of work with artists we admired and were friends with.

Adam did an amazing job (as always) but, I ended up having some personal issues come up that caused me to withdraw into myself and I just couldn’t finish up my end of the deal. Thankfully I was able to rebound this past summer and we finished up the final mix/master shortly after that.

In order to give the release the best support I could, we opted to wait to release the EP on March 15th, 2023 (the Ides of March). To add a fresh spin on a new path, we opted to work with Greg Rolfes of Eleven12 Design for the cover art. I think Greg’s art really captures the vibe of the material, lending it that classic 4AD style while staying current with today’s dark music scene.

2. What is the meaning of the EP/CD name?

Persephone is the Greek queen of the underworld, and the goddess of spring. As an avatar of transition, death and rebirth, we felt this represented the themes of this EP.

3. Which one is the composer of the CD/EP?

All the songs on the EP are written and recorded by Joe Whiteaker, with guitars by Wayne Thiele. Additional guitars on Kiss Me by Anthony Mena.

4. If you had to pick one song, which one would you pick?

It is hard to pick one, as they all seem to resonate with people, but If I had to pick one it would probably be Two As One… The sensual, ritualistic groove and the thrill and fear of submitting to the throes of collective ecstasy only to discover that the one who led you there has abandoned you there.

5. Is there a special message in this EP/CD? If there is what it is?

Maybe? I guess you could play it backwards and see?

6. Are there some lyrics that you'd love to share?

There are many lines in these songs that resonate for me…

For example, the line “Tigers in the garden wearing masks, Painting pale reflections of the past” from Figured is a favorite of mine…

However, I am more interested in what resonates with the listener to be honest.

7. Which inspirations have been important for this album? Like musically or friends, family, someone you'd love to thank especially?

I would be kidding myself if I didn’t say that a giant inspiration for this release is The Cure’s Pornography album, (perhaps it is my love letter to it) a record for me that I come back to time and time again, each time finding something new about it and my attraction to it. The John McGeoch/Robert Smith era of Siouxsie and the Banshees also factors into these songs as well. I was also influenced by Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, both the comics and the Netflix series based on them. There are more unconscious influences I am sure, but I think if you mash all that together, I think you get a pretty good understanding of what my headspace looked like at the time.

I also can’t say enough about the bands that we have had the pleasure to play and become friends with this last year. Each of them has inspired and supported this release in their own special way, and I think this might have not come out as it did (or at all!) without their input and support! So many thanks to Bellhead, Tatu Gral, The Feral Ghosts, [melter], The Bellwether Syndicate, our friends and family for putting up with my schemes, and of course the fans! We appreciate each of you who has taken the time to listen, purchase, and attend shows!

8. Something to add?

We hope you enjoy the EP, it means the world to us to have you listen! Feel free to drop in our socials and tell us what you think!