Henry’s Funeral Shoe Talk New Single, Future Plans And More
Words by Glenn Sargeant
Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Duff Press
Henry’s Funeral Shoe are back! The Welsh duo have released the brand-new single Hey!!! (What’s Your Pleasure?) and told JLTT more about it:
Who is in ‘s Funeral Shoe and what do you play?
Aled, Guitar & Vocals
Brennig, drums & BV’s
What is your earliest musical memory?
Aled – Lying on my bed listening to the Best of Buddy Holly & the song “ Raining in my heart “. It was a beautiful summers day & I loved how the lyrics painted a different picture in my head to what I could see outside.
Bren – playing the drums to cd’s that Aled slid under my bedroom door for me to listen to.
You have your new single ‘Hey!!! (What’s Your Pleasure?)’ which is out now. What was the story/inspiration behind the track?
The main goal for any of our heavier songs is to have a groove to get people moving and a hook to get them singing. What’s your pleasure can conjure up anything that’s good for the listener. We like to let them interpret the song.
Was it a difficult song to write?
Not particularly, once we got a good groove and hook everything fell into place.
The single is accompanied by an official music video. What was the thought process behind the video and who directed it?
The thought behind the video was to have it as abstract & immediate as possible with no theme. A cinematic equivalence to doomscrolling because that’s what people are used to now…that or a Netflix min series on serial killers, & we didn’t have the budget for that. It was recorded by Addicted to films. They’re great people.
Where did you record the single and who produced it?
We recorded it in Sonic One Studios in Llangenech, near Llanelli. It was produced by ourselves and Tim Hamill who owns the studio. He also recorded and engineered the track. He’s a wizard. Our very own Gandalf.
Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the recording sessions?
Aled – I had a stomach an colon infection on the weekend of recording & the painkillers and antibiotics were so strong I can’t remember anything. So that was fun for all the wrong reasons. I felt like Ozzy Osbourne.
Brennig – On our track ‘high shoulders everywhere’ there is hand clapping that comes in. We had to have about 15 takes of that part because Aled couldn’t clap in time 😉
Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?
The usual gear, a custom built Matamp, modified Stratocaster which I’ve renamed a Cliffocaster, fuzz pedal & whammy pedal & some wizardry by Tim Hammel at Sonic One.
Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?
Happiest – hey what’s your pleasure
Angriest – high shoulders everywhere
Most reflective – right time
Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025/2026?
Yes, we plan on releasing more singles and an EP or album over this time.
What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?
That everyone’s had a good time & the sound engineer did a good job.
Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?
Aled – Couldn’t do without my Mojo Fuzz pedal ans whammy pedal.
How do you look after your voices?
Aled – on tour when I’m singing night after night I usually don’t speak while we’re travelling & definitely no talking in the live room before hand because it’s usually shouting over music. I sing really aggressively and have to be able to put everything into the show. Sometimes I feel ignorant but at the end of the day it’s all about the gig and if people have travelled and paid money to see us play, last thing I wanna do is let the down.
You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it?
Aled – Anything by Gillian Flynn.
Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?
Ystrad Mynach in South Wales. It’s beautiful, historic & friendly, fun and double beautiful
Do you have any live dates in the UK/Europe planned for 2025/2026?
We’re currently planning a tour of Europe for 2026. We lost our last booking agent during lockdown so if there are any reading this and want to help us out, hit us up, we’d love to hear from you.
Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?
Aled, I genuinely have too many to list. I listen to everything. I’m currently listen to White Denim a lot, so maybe those right now.
What makes ‘s Funeral Shoe happy and what makes you unhappy?
Walking in the hills where we live, listening to music & being with our kids makes us happy.
Social media makes us want to burn our eyes out
Feature Image Photo Credit: Supplied By Duff Press
Henry’s Funeral Shoe’s new single ‘Hey!!! (What’s Your Pleasure?)’ is out now.
To purchase the track and for more information visit their official website: https://www.henrysfuneralshoe.com/
