Backstage at a bustling festival, with music thundering through the summer air, Lee Jennings of The Funeral Portrait was equal parts charming and thoughtful — even as the clock ticked and fans packed the grounds beyond.
Wearing a Danny Elfman shirt with pride, Lee lit up at the idea of a dream collaboration. “He’s the man,” he grinned. “So weird, so unique. I want our next record to be more theatrical — over the top, fun. Danny would help bring that out of us.” He hinted that fans can expect bigger ideas and maybe even bigger costumes next era. “The songs are going there for sure. We’ll see what happens with the outfits.”
As for getting into character on stage, Lee’s process is electric and instinctual. “It’s like a snap,” he said, literally snapping his fingers. “I walk out there slow… then just go. It’s a switch.” Though warm-ups sometimes get lost in chaotic setups, there’s still tea, cough drops, and the undeniable adrenaline that only live performance can deliver.
Reflecting on recent shows, Lee called out the day’s crowd as one of the most surprising highs. “I was afraid it’d be ten people,” he laughed, “but it was PACKED an hour after gates opened.” He recalled playing Sonic Temple too — a sea of fans stretching as far as the eye could see — and admitted the scale left him stunned. “That was kind of crazy.”
But even in massive crowds, Lee’s focus is intimacy — connection. He wants people at a TFP show to feel welcome, seen, and not alone. “They can scream, sing, cry… just be themselves. That’s huge for us. That’s what our music is about.” He’s seen those shared moments unfold from the stage — fans crying, him crying — a mutual release between artist and audience. “We’re doing this together.”
Outside of music? That’s harder for Lee to answer. “Music consumes me,” he said. He’s recorded bands, managed them, worked venues — lived and breathed the business. But when he’s not on the road, he’s deep into Disney and Pokémon, embracing all things fun. “If I’m not having fun, what’s the point?” he laughed.
When asked to finish a sentence — “The Funeral Portrait shows are for people who…” — Lee didn’t hesitate: “…want to belong.” It was a moment of quiet honesty. “I grew up needing that. I want fans to feel like they have a place here.”
The conversation turned emotional as he shared the personal story behind “Herse for Two,” a song written about the passing of his grandmother. “It’s about what it must’ve felt like for my grandfather — waking up that next day after sixty years with her.” When fans bring photos of their loved ones to the show, or when his own mom was in the crowd for the first time he played it in Atlanta, Lee said he couldn’t keep it together. “I was bawling my eyes out.”
And after more than a decade fronting The Funeral Portrait, Lee reflected on the band’s evolution. “We started in metalcore — screaming, breakdowns, all that — but it wasn’t real for us. This,” he said with conviction, “this is what we’ve always been chasing. A dramatic rock band. Something emotional. Theatrical. Raw. That’s who we are now.” He smiled when talking about the variety in their sets: “You can mosh, cry, sing, shout, have a moment — all in one show. That’s the goal.”
Before wrapping up, he promised things are only getting bigger from here. “Next year… oh man. We’re going full out.”
And just like that, with Plot In You already halfway through their set, Lee stepped back into the music — leaving behind a conversation filled with warmth, laughter, vulnerability, and a whole lot of heart.
Whether you’re screaming in the pit, crying in the crowd, or just soaking in the theatrical chaos, a Funeral Portrait show is more than a performance — it’s a place to belong. If you’re ready to feel something real, you’ll want to be there.
Catch The Funeral Portrait on tour at the dates below.
