For the Elton John song, see Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh Post-Hardcore band, signed to Atlantic Records. Formation and EPs (2001-2003) Originally called January Thirst, however when one of the original vocalists Michael Evans (Chaos 107) quit in December 2001, Matthew Evans (vocals) and Johnny Phillips (drums) invited Matt Davies to try out for the vacant singer position. Soon after Davies joined, the band changed the name to Funeral for a Friend, taken from a song by the band Planes Mistaken for Stars.

During the start of the New Year they parted ways with second guitarist Kerry Roberts (Kris Coombs-Roberts's brother) and found a suitable replacement in Darran Smith (ex-Tripcage). The band recorded four tracks at Mighty Atom Studios for a proposed self financed EP with another Welsh band From This Moment On. Upon hearing the tracks, Mighty Atom Records approached the band and offered a two album deal, resulting in their debut EP, Between Order & Model (2002).

In 2003, Funeral for a Friend recorded their second EP, Four Ways to Scream Your Name, which was produced and mixed by Colin Richardson. Both EPs are currently out of print and highly sought after by fans of the band.

In mid-2003, the band secured their first Kerrang! award, winning the award for "Best UK Newcomer," beating The Darkness, who won in all other nominated categories. Funeral for a Friend's win was largely attributed to their fervent fan base, as the awards winner was decided by public vote online at the official Kerrang! Web site.

Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation (2003-2005)
On October 20, 2003, after recording for the duration of the summer, Funeral for a Friend's full-length debut album was released. Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation, produced and mixed by Colin Richardson, was released to critical acclaim in the UK. The album did not see a concurrent release in the US (eventually released there on July 13, 2004); instead, a seven-track "mini-album," entitled Seven Ways to Scream Your Name, was released, and featured songs from the band's Between Order & Model and Four Ways to Scream Your Name EPs.

Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation saw three top-twenty singles including "Juneau" (#19), "She Drove Me to Daytime Television" (#20) and "Escape Artists Never Die" (#19).

Funeral for a Friend toured feverishly to promote Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation, including a series of European dates in which they opened for their idols, Iron Maiden. This was met with a mixed reception, however, as their style and fan base bore little resemblance to the heavy metal background of Iron Maiden. In 2004, the band headlined the second stage of the Reading and Leeds Festivals.

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