From Green Hair to Rock Operas: The Funeral Portrait’s Journey at Louder Than Life

0:04 Hey, you're listening to The Adventure on W4CY Radio. This is the Pipe Man here on The Adventure's Pipe Man W4CY Radio, and I'm here with Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait. That's why I always have you do it. You do it so well. Right? And I got to tell you, You're the most badass here. Thank you. Thank you so much, bro. I almost matched you this time. You look good, though. We're like Christmas colors now. I know, right? I've been talking about doing that color, and I've had almost every color. Blue, as you remember, was my normal.

0:52 So green is next year? The green would match my Jeep. Okay. So my Jeep is like a lime green Jeep Moab. That's sick. So when I got my hair turned blue the first time, two days later, I was shopping for a car, not this one, one before. And I was at the Lexus dealer and they had this. race car that was in the blue color, the same as my hair. So I bought it just because it was the same color as my hair. I love that. I love that. So I've been talking about ever since I got the Jeep. Well, then I need to match the Jeep. And then I'm just like, would I look good in it? I might have to try it. It's time. Maybe for aftershock.

1:32 I'll try it. I don't know. My friend, I'm shaking it. We're shaking. There it is. There it is. It's happening. So I do want to ask, how much work is the green? Because I know how much work the red and the blue is. You know, it's one of those things. I go and get it done professionally every few months, right? And then we touch it up along the way as we go. Yeah. So I get it done professionally, too. Yeah. I find the red goes much quicker. Like, I had it done right before I got here, and it's already faded. I know. It gets crazy. It's just so sweaty and hot and gross. I know. It was so hot, I was like. Yep. Bleeding. Yes, yeah, me too. Green everywhere. Exactly. So tell us a little bit about what it's been like here at Louder Than Life.

2:16 Oh my, hot, sweaty. I renamed it Hotter Than Life. Hotter Than Life. Yeah, that's great. It's a good idea. Hotter Than Life has been hot. Gross we almost lost pierce the veil and michael mccormick's the other night due to rain that was going to be very scary it was the rain and i saw that lightning that lightning was so close to being close to close enough to us thank god. It was close enough to us by the way i know i know i know it's fine i was out there getting food and i was like the first time all day And I was like, I saw that and I was like, oh, fuck. Dude, it was almost bad. There was a staff there that was like, okay, that's going to be a wrap. It was code orange for. Like an hour. It was. It really was. But they kept it going and it was awesome.

3:00 Thank God. Thank God, because it was a great night. But it's been great. It's been so nice and fun here. How was my chem for you? I saw you out there, but she even said to me, why is he out in GA? I'm like, lots of the artists go out in GA. I wanted to experience the show. As a fan, I'm a fan of the band. I wanted to experience the show, and that's what. It's all about. Exactly. So how was it being out there? Incredible. So much fun. And I like being with my people, you know what I mean? And that's what it was. And I also got to be there with my, so my little cousin and his girlfriend were there. So we got to like meet up with them and watch the show with them, which was really cool. When are they going to invite you up to sing one with them?

3:41 Maybe one day. I know, right? One day. That's the dream. We've got to make it happen. I'm putting it out there. We're putting it in the universe. It's going to happen. There it is. It'll be the My Chem Funeral Tour. There it is. We're putting it happening. There it is. So, what else you got going on right now besides Louder Than Life? I'm working on the record. Almost done. Almost done with the record. But. I would say a new song sooner than later. So tell us what your writing process is now for music opposed to previous records. It's a little different because this time it was a full idea first of what I wanted to sing about and wanted to write about. So we were able to kind of like get it all put together together.

4:31 This time. And, and it was really nice to really devote time to what I wanted to say rather than last time. Was just so fast. We were like, okay, let's go, let's go, let's go put this one here. Let's do this. This time it's been a, it's a full body of work. It's basically like a rock opera. It's going to be crazy. Wow. That's pretty cool. So maybe it will be the new quadrophenia or the new, uh, queen bohemian rhapsody type of thing. We'll see, you know, or better. Hey, you never know. Well, that's really cool. And I always wonder, too, with artists, as each time you're writing music, what plays a role in the evolution of it being different?

5:16 For me, all of my favorite bands always sound different record to record, right? You know, I think for me, this last record. This last record was just to gain our feet, right? Now it's time for us to run. And so let's go running. Yeah. There you go. And you're going to run pretty good. We'll see what happens. And what is your... fun passions when you're not doing music? I don't know. I don't know. I just love music in general. So I like to go to shows. I like to listen to music. I like to just be around it.

5:57 I don't know. The thing is I work every day, all day. It's what I love. It's my hobby. I just get to make a little bit of cash to pay some bills off of it. Yeah, exactly. See, that's the way it should be though. If you're not having fun in this business... You're not really in the right business. No, not at all. Especially nowadays, there's not as much money in it as there used to be. Right, exactly. You know, maybe there wasn't even that much money back in the day, but we always hear about it because the legacy artists, right, the ones that actually made it. Yeah. But that's still here today, right? Exactly. All of these new, oh my gosh. I'm not tired, I promise. All these new legacy artists. Are doing the same thing, you know, and it just takes some time to just kind of get there. And, you know, it's cool because they sweated their asses off to be here, and that's what we're.

6:46 Doing, too. Well, you know, I always say it takes 20 years to become an overnight success. I know, and I'm at, I'm year 11. So you're close. Halfway there. You're on the other side. You're on the downhill to it. It's ready. And you deserve it more than anybody. Thank you so much, brother. Not only are you a great musician, a great artist, but just a great human being. And we need more of those nowadays. I completely agree. That's what it should be built off of first. You should be a cool, fun, human first. And if you're not that, then I don't know. There's no room for you here at my table. Exactly. Like, fuck the assholes. Yep. To be blunt. Who are you going to see tonight?

7:29 Danny Elfman. Oh, yes. He's my number one. Oh, yeah. Me too. Danny Elfman and Black Veil Brides. That's a good one, too. I have a story. Danny Elfman. Oingo Boingo. Yep. Westlake High. 1980. In the gymnasium for assembly, ninth grade, Oingo Boingo played. No way. Yes. How? Why? What? I don't even know. I just remember we got called to an assembly in the gym. And then Oingo Boingo was playing. That's crazy. And then I saw Oingo Boingo open for the police. Okay. In 1983, Ghost of the Machine Tour. Oh, my goodness.

8:11 And I haven't seen him since. Well, tonight. I will be there. Tonight. For sure. It's happening. That's like my number two of everybody performing here. Yes, that's all it is. Number one is Funeral Portrait. Danielle Finn, number two. That's what I'm talking about, brother. What's your favorite... thing that he's. Done you know I am I mean I'm like an emo kid right so of course like Nightmare for Christmas you know I think you know him being even the voice of Jack you know because he's the singing voice you know it was one of these things I don't think it was supposed to be but I think it was one of those things that I think they just like the way he sounded so much you know and I don't know, just the way that. You know, of course, I do like Oingo Boingo. I don't know, there's a.

8:53 Few things that he's done. I like his solo music, too, that he's done. I mean, the dude's just a crazy living legend. No doubt. I love all the stuff he does, you know, like Nightmare and all the Tim Burton stuff. But I also love all the Batman stuff he does. Yes, yeah. Like... I love that. How he infiltrated Tim Burton, Batman stuff, Simpsons stuff, and all that. Insane, right? It's insane. It just blows my mind, especially seeing him in my high school gymnasium. That's crazy. That was living in him then. Think about that. Exactly. So, 20 years from now, well, 9 years from now, it's going to be you. There it is. That it is.

9:37 So I love that you're allowed in life. I love being here. I love seeing you at all the festivals. And thanks once again for being on the Adventures of Pipe Man. Thank you always for having me. And if people don't support the funeral portrait, they can't listen to my show. Dude. It's simple. I literally, you know, the easiest thing about the funeral portrait is we got the most unique name ever. So all you got to do is type in the funeral portrait. It's so easy to find. if you see a great guy with green hair you know you're in the right place. Yeah exactly I can never not find you at the festival like I found you in the whole GA crowd I know on purpose I know we both were back in front of the house yep and then I'm like going through I'm like holy fuck where how'd you end up here There it is. That's what this community is about.

10:20 Dude, you fucking know it, brother. Oh, fuck yeah. Go get them. Let's do it, brother. Thank you for listening to the Adventures of Pikeman on W4CY radio.