Henry’s Funeral Shoe are two brothers from South Wales whose blues rock sound has a force that comes from not overthinking what they are. Their new single, ‘Hey!!! (What’s Your Pleasure?)’, started as a sketch from their first rehearsal after lockdown. After a year away following the loss of their mother, it’s their announcement that they’re back. As they outline in this discussion with Jason Barnard, it’s about rebuilding; booking rooms and seeing if the songs still land.
What sparked new single, was there a moment or idea that set it off?
It was the first song we started writing after lockdown when everyone could finally be in a room together. We never fully finished the arrangement so when we decided start back up again after taking time off to look after our mother it seemed like to right place to pick up from.
You’ve said you wanted it to sound like something on a gravedigger’s playlist. What did that image mean to you when you were recording it?
Well, I used to be a gravedigger and I enjoyed the solidity pleasure it gave me, working outside in the fresh air on my own with no one to bother me. But in winter, sometimes it felt like it never fully got light, especially in the valleys surrounded by mountains and mist and you needed a good playlist to keep you motivated. So it had to be hooky and groovy enough too keep you digging.
How did you approach recording now compared to your earlier work?
The recording approach is still the same, everything live with no more than 3 takes and minimal fuss. This time though we focused on a single and not an album track so we took more time to arrange it differently and overdub or layer it where appropriate. We can’t necessarily play this arrangement live but the point was to make a song for radio as we’ve never done that. Everything else was secondary.
Coming from South Wales, how much has place shaped the way you play and write?
Well, the weather is mostly shit so you have more of an impetus to stay in and practice. If we lived in California it might be different. Our dad and grandparents were all miners so I guess the stoic grit and determination to plough on no matter what life throws at you is something we’ve inherited from the area and people.
How did the break change the way you think about writing or performing?
The build up and subsequent death of our mother was horrendous. It knocked the stuffing out of us, so it was a forced break because we were emotionally wrecked but it hasn’t changed how we write, it just showered us how much we miss performing live and being around likeminded people.
You’ve been described as carrying the British blues-rock torch. Do you feel part of a particular lineage?
Not particularly because we still continue to find it hard to get on festivals or shows. We’re either to blues for the rock crowd or to rock for the blues lot & not indie enough for regular festivals. We’re an enigma. We just think of ourselves as a Rock N Roll band/ duo. Our albums are very eclectic & our live shows have a Rory Gallagher/MC5 vibe.
We’ve done it so long now we don’t know any different.
How do you balance being brothers and bandmates, does that closeness make writing and touring easier, or more intense?
There’s a 10 year age difference between us so we didnt grow up to together , have the same friends or watch the same cartoons 😬 but we have the same sense of humour which helps. we’ve experienced things as brothers that ordinarily you wouldn’t. Brothers would maybe see each other at weekend or family gatherings, they wouldn’t be playing a pub in Belgium during a storm surrounded by people with swash sticker tattoos on their head demanding you play until they’re satisfied & countless other mental situations 😅.
Away from music, what keeps your head clear enough to write and play well?
The usual. Long walks, family, books and good food.
What does a good song need from you before you’ll let it leave the room?
It needs to sound like “us”. Nothing contrived or with an American twang. despite having maybe an American sound we have to make sure lyrically at least, it sounds British and authentic. It’s gotta have a groove and a hook, be that a guitar line or vocal hook. Something people will remember.
You’ve had songs picked up for films, adverts and TV shows. Do those moments ever change how you see your own music?
Not really, because they were never written with that intention so it feels really odd hearing them in that environment.
You’ve always been known as a live band. What are you most looking forward to about stepping back on stage?
We’re looking forward to being at venues again and around like minded people & getting to know the songs again & being washed in music .When we have a really good gig we always say “the third member turned up tonight “. It when the stage sound is soo good nothing feels empty and there’s no space for the songs to escape, you’ve got them by the throat.
Are you working toward a full album or seeing where things lead?
The single is to tell people we’re back and want to play live again & an album is the final goal but we need a booking agent and to play as many venues and festivals as possible next year. Our whole infrastructure fell apart after Covid so it’s about putting everything in place again. Our last album was released shortly before Covid so all our tours got pulled. We never got to fully promote it and if we were to release a new album without a booking agent the same would happen. So we’re stockpiling songs and working on singles which is something we’ve never done.
