Funeral for Yesterday

In 2004, Kittie released its third studio album, Until the End. The band's record label, Artemis Records, offered Kittie little to no support, forcing founding members Morgan and Mercedes Lander to fund the album's supporting tour with their personal finances.[1][2] This created financial difficulties for the Lander sisters that left them unable to pay bassist Jennifer Arroyo and guitarist Lisa Marx.[1][2] Owing to this, Marx and Arroyo both left the band in February 2005, although Arroyo's split was more amicable than Marx's.[1][2] Around the time of both members' departures, Kittie was in the midst of negotiations with Artemis over whether the label would sign the band on for another album;[3] ultimately, the band parted ways with Artemis on March 31, 2005, due to "a proposed amendment to the recording budget for the pending fourth Kittie album."[4] After leaving Artemis Records, the Lander sisters quietly disbanded Kittie[nb 1] and, after contemplating their future, decided to keep pursuing music. "There was a lot of sadness and tears, but there was also a lot of creativity", Morgan Lander said: "And we ultimately decided that this is where our hearts lie and we couldn't do anything else."[7][5]

During Kittie's six-month hiatus, the Lander sisters began writing songs together "once a week or twice a week" as a form of emotional release.[8] "It didn't seem like there was a future for [us], so Mercedes and I just wrote what we felt", Morgan stated.[9] Mercedes was responsible for writing the tracks "Breathe" and "Around Your Heart", with Morgan stating: "it was important, as we were both going through the same scenario, for [her] to have a voice."[10] As the band were no longer signed to a label, the Lander sisters had no deadlines and were able to work on songs individually, honing in their arrangements and musicianship.[7][11][12] Morgan Lander felt that this benefitted the quality of its songwriting.[7] "Being down in the basement and jamming [new material] reminded me of when we were just starting out", stated Morgan Lander. "When we did our first album, everything was fresh and we were so excited. Then came the pressure to succeed, and over the next two records we fell out of love with music and the excitement of songwriting."[12]

The Lander sisters initially attempted to shop the music they had written together to various record labels, including Epic Records, under the name Sweet Revenge. Although the demos attracted some interest, the labels were disappointed with its change in sound from Kittie.[13] Mercedes Lander recalled: "Everybody that we [saw], every label person [said], 'Oh, but where's that heaviness? It doesn't sound like Kittie.' And it's like, but that's the fucking point."[14] Ultimately, the Lander sisters decided to reform Kittie, and began seeking out a new guitarist and bassist for the band.[15] Tara McLeod, guitarist of the band Sherry, was brought into the fold in August 2005 by the Lander sisters' manager/father, David Lander, who witnessed one of Sherry's performances in Strathroy-Caradoc, close to Kittie's hometown of London, Ontario.[16][17][18] Trish Doan, who played guitar for a local all-female band called Her, joined soon after on bass.[16][19] Kittie's new line-up began working on new music together, and played their debut gig at Call the Office in London, Ontario on September 29, 2005.[20] All of the lyrics and around half of the music for Funeral for Yesterday had been written before McLeod and Doan had joined the band, and Morgan and Mercedes gave the new members freedom to write whatever they wanted to for the album afterwards.[8] "It was basically just like, 'Hey Tara, let's write some leads, whatever you wanna do on this record, go fuckin' ahead, you too Trish, go right ahead'," Mercedes recalled.[21] Material was also developed through band rehearsals and live performances, which allowed the band to "work out the kinks" and bring about new ideas for some songs, such as "Summer Dies".[8][11] In February 2006, Kittie released a digital-only extended play, Never Again.[22][23] The EP's songs ("Never Again", "This Too Shall Pass", "Breathe" and the iTunes bonus track "Everything That Could Have Been") would later be re-recorded for Funeral for Yesterday.[24] According to Mercedes Lander, the writing process of Funeral for Yesterday lasted "about two years".[8]

Funeral for Yesterday was recorded in Red Bank, New Jersey, seen here in 2007.

The recording sessions for Funeral for Yesterday, which took place at RetroMedia Studio in Red Bank, New Jersey, commenced on on July 15, 2006.[25] For the album, the band worked with veteran producer Jack Ponti, who Mercedes described as "a big ‘80s metal guy" and "very old school in his recording methods".[11][26] Ponti came out of retirement to produce the album, which was his first since Doro's Machine II Machine in 1995;[27][11] he chose to work with Kittie because of “the girls [in the band] never getting [the due] they deserved in terms of their musicianship or their abilities", and because he wanted to do "things that are difficult [rather] than things that are easy”.[28] In comparison to Kittie's past producers, who let the band "do whatever the fuck [they] want", Ponti played an more active role than in shaping the band's sound.[29] He encouraged the band to experiment with different recording techniques, vintage instruments and unique microphone placements.[11][30] Whilst the album's guitars, bass and drums were recorded onto two-inch analogue tape, Ponti recorded and arranged the album's vocals and harmonies using Pro Tools.[11][31]

Although Morgan Lander found working with Ponti to be "a lot of fun",[33] Mercedes Lander would later state that there had been a creative "power struggle" between him and the other members of Kittie.[34] 90% of Doan's basslines were scrapped after a last minute change in recording,[35][36] and McLeod's contributions on the final album were limited to "layering" guitars and performing guitar solos.[8] Furthermore, some of the album's guitar parts would end up being completely improvised.[37] Ponti had a particularly poor working relationship with Doan, and he refused to communicate with her after she walked out of the studio following an argument with him.[38] "It was really awkward, and every time I recorded, he would say the bare minimum words to me, or speak to me through someone else," Doan recalled.[39] Mercedes stated that Ponti ultimately won the album's creative struggles because "he had the stronger personality".[34]

Recording sessions for Funeral for Yesterday wrapped up in late August 2006, with "Everything That Could Have Been" being the last song to be completed for the album.[40][41] The album was then mixed at The Document Room in Malibu, California by Kevin Shirley between September 5 and September 14, 2006, before being sent to Sterling Sound to be mastered by Leon Zervos.[27][42][43] On October 11, 2006, Mercedes Lander announced that the album had been completed.[44][45] The album's recording sessions were partially documented in a companion DVD released with physical editions of the album.[46]

Stylistically, Funeral for Yesterday is a heavy metal[48] and alternative metal[47][49] album that mixes Kittie's "heavy musical side" with "a more melodic vocal [one]", whilst exhibiting the band's continued musical growth.[7][8][50][51] Critics noted the album's greater use of clean signing and vocal harmonies compared to Kittie's previous releases,[47][52] although screamed and growled vocals are found on its heavier tracks such as "Witch Hunt" and "Last Goodbye".[7][53] The album was also noted for its softer, more accessible production and sound;[47] Morgan Lander stated that Kittie wanted to "make an album where you could bang your head and sing along at the same time",[7][50] whilst Doan believed that the band had "worked more in a way that ... was to get songs on the radio."[54] Mercedes Lander also hoped the album would signify a "rebirth" for the band, stating: "All of [Kittie's former bandmates] don't matter at all. They're dead to us. That's why we called the album Funeral for Yesterday."[55]

Morgan felt that Funeral for Yesterday was "sort of a concept album in a way", as all of its lyrics thematically revolve around "dying, death, and the promise of resurrection".[56] The track "Breathe" is about "the death of a relationship and the desire for it to keep going", whilst "Slow Motion" is about "seeing something or someone that you love die slowly, and there is nothing that can be done", according to Morgan Lander.[10] Morgan explained that "Never Again" is about Kittie "taking a stand never to be treated a certain way, never to be walked on again or allow ourselves to be vulnerable. We've dealt with these things before and made our mistakes, and now we're fucking warriors."[55] "Everything That Could Have Been" is about "reflection of the past, and wishing to change it solely to see how differently the outcome would have been".[10] "Around Your Heart" was interpreted by Morgan to be about "not wanting something beautiful to end."[10]

On August 28, 2006, Kittie announced that they would be releasing their next album through their own record label and management company, Kiss of Infamy Records.[28] Ponti had inspired the band to set up the label, and helped them secure distribution through his own label, Merovingian Music (MRV), which was distributed by EMI.[55][57] "We talked to a bunch of indie labels, but when it came down to it, staring out own business seemed like the right thing to do because we've always been a self-sufficient band", stated Mercedes Lander.[55] "We've never had help paying for tours, an we do all of our own merch, and we have our own clothing line [Poisoned Black]. So it was the next logical step."[55] The label's name was later changed to "X of Infamy" in December 2006 after the band received a cease-and-desist order from Gene Simmons, who owns the "Kiss" trademark.[55][58] "[The] X is clever, because 'XOXO' means kiss anyway", stated Morgan Lander.[55]

On October 25, 2006, Kittie unveiled Funeral for Yesterday's title and cover artwork.[31] In the coming months, tracks from Funeral for Yesterday would be uploaded online; a radio-ready version of the album's title track, "Funeral for Yesterday", was posted online on November 14, 2006,[59] with the songs "Flowers of Flesh and Blood", "Witch Hunt" and "Around Your Heart" being uploaded to the band's MySpace page on December 1, 2006.[60] On January 27, 2007, two more songs, "Summer Dies" and "This Too Shall Pass", were posted to the band's MySpace.[61] Two music videos were made for "Funeral for Yesterday"; an unofficial version, which appears on the companion DVD of Funeral for Yesterday, was posted online on November 17, 2006.[62] An official music video for the song, directed by Vincent Giordano, was filmed in Long Island, New York, on On February 5, 2007.[63][64] The official video was made available for streaming on March 6, 2007.[65]

Funeral for Yesterday was released by X of Infamy and Merovingian Music on February 20, 2007.[66] The album sold just under 9,000 copies during its first week of release, debuting at number 101 on the US Billboard 200 chart.[67] The album also reached number seven on Billboard's Top Independent Albums chart.[68] By April 4, 2007, the album had sold 20,000 copies in the United States.[69] Although the album was not a great commercial success, its lead single, "Funeral For Yesterday", became Kittie's biggest radio hit, peaking at number 40 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart on April 14, 2007.[68][70] To date, it is Kittie's only single to make an appearance on the chart. "Breathe" was also released as a single, but did not chart.[68][71]

Touring and Trish Doan's departure

Morgan Lander performing with Kittie in August 2007

Kittie promoted Funeral for Yesterday with The Funeral for Yesterday Tour, which saw the band travel across the United States from February to May 2007 with Walls of Jericho, 36 Crazyfists, Dead to Fall and In This Moment.[56][72][73] The band intended on touring the United Kingdom as support for Cradle of Filth in April 2007, but pulled out after MRV refused to give them touring support.[74] From July to September 2007, Kittie embarked on another tour of the United States, the Sweet Revenge Tour, with It Dies Today, Silent Civilian, Bring Me the Horizon and Blessed by a Broken Heart.[75][76] During one of the Sweet Revenge tour dates in Baltimore, Maryland on August 19, 2007, Kittie ended their set early after Morgan Lander was groped by a member of the audience, who was then attacked by the crowd.[77] The band also performed several acoustic shows at FYE stores across the United States in April and May 2007,[69] and participated in radio interviews with Rockline (on KLOS)[78] and Mancow's Morning Madhouse (on WRCX).[79]

Midway through the album's touring cycle, Kittie was forced to part ways with Trish Doan. Doan had developed an eating disorder, anorexia athletica-nervosa, in the summer of 2006 whilst Kittie was in New Jersey recording Funeral for Yesterday.[80][81] By the time Kittie began touring in support of the album, Doan had become "too skinny" (according to McLeod), concerning and frightening the other members of the band.[82][83] Doan was encouraged by the other members of Kittie to leave if she need to look after her health, but she refused to do this; she later stated that she was "still in such denial and so caught up in myself [that] I didn't really think about it".[84] Following an incident at a show where she fainted off of the stage, Doan was forced to leave the band.[83] She later stated that although she did not want to leave Kittie, her decision to "was made based on doctors' orders."[80] Doan did not play bass for two years after leaving Kittie, and felt that she had abandoned the other girls in the band.[85]

In June 2007, Kittie announced that Jeff Phillips, who had previously been the band's second guitarist during the Oracle touring cycle, would be filling in on bass for Doan for the Sweet Revenge Tour.[75][86] Later that year, the band hired Ivana "Ivy" Vujic as her permanent replacement.[87] In September 2007, Morgan Lander disclosed in an interview with Rock N' Roll Experience that Doan was not able to tour with the band due to her "really serious eating disorder";[88] her departure was officially announced in March 2008.[80]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[47]
Blabbermouth.net	4/10[53]
IGN	7.7/10[52]
Now	[48]

Critics generally commented on Kittie's consistent and mature musical direction.[89] AllMusic review James Christopher Monger said that Kittie's new direction on the album "suits them in a way that indicates actual growth".[47] Times West Virginian also considered Kittie's lineup on Funeral for Yesterday to be their strongest up to that point.[90] Although the site's review would criticize Funeral for Yesterday as "plodding, rudimentary and dishwater-dull", Blabbermouth.net acknowledged that the band were "slowly getting competent, and on occasion even interesting".[53]

The album's vocals, production and songwriting, however, generally divided critics, and both AllMusic's and the Times West Virginian's reviews of Funeral for Yesterday anticipated negative reactions to Morgan Lander's cleaner vocals from Kittie's existing fanbase.[47][90] IGN's Ed Thompson considered it to be the album's "biggest surprise", stating that "Morgan has finally been convinced that she has the kind of voice that will stand on its own merits".[52] LiveDaily felt that they made the album's songs "immensely more listenable".[91] Conversely, Now called Morgan's vocals "ultra-annoying", and panned the album's lyrics as "trite [and] clichéd".[48] Lollipop Magazine compared the band and the album unfavourably to Finnish gothic metal band Lullacry, calling it repetitious.[92] Blabbermouth.net criticized Jack Ponti's "robot choir" vocal production, which they felt made the album "forgettable".[53]

Shortly after Doan's departure from the band, Kittie bought themselves out of their contract with Ponti and MRV Music.[93] Morgan and Mercedes Lander have both reflected unfavourably on Funeral for Yesterday, praising its songwriting but criticizing its production. Discussing the album's production with Carl Begai in 2009, Mercedes stated: "Every album we’ve done we’ve used analog tape, but it wasn’t the analog that was the problem ... it was the way we recorded it. We didn’t have a lot of say in it and it didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to."[94] She also criticized the album's "over-produced" vocals: "[It] has six million harmonies on every chorus. It made [Morgan] sound like a fucking Chipmunk at the end of the day, which was ridiculous."[94] However, when asked by The Rockpit in 2010 if she regretted the album, Mercedes stated: “I wouldn’t say regret, we would have done it differently.”[95] The band's next album, In the Black (2009), saw Kittie return to a heavier, stripped-down sound;[96] in a 2011 interview with Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Morgan would call the album their attempt to "undo all the things Funeral For Yesterday did".[96] The band also decided to sign with another record label, eOne Music, as managing X of Infamy "didn’t work out the way we wanted it to", according to Mercedes.[94]

Doan remained friends with McLeod and the Lander sisters after leaving Kittie.[97] In February 2012, Doan would rejoin the band following Vujic's departure; however, the band did not work on any new material together afterwards, making Funeral for Yesterday the only Kittie album Doan performed on and her last prior to her death on February 11, 2017.[98][99] In October 2017, Kittie performed an acoustic version of "Funeral for Yesterday" at the band's reunion concert celebrating the premiere of the Kittie: Origins/Evolutions documentary in Doan's memory.[100]

All songs written by Morgan Lander and Mercedes Lander.[101]

Personnel per liner notes.[101]

Funeral for Yesterday - Bonus DVD[102]

Citations

Sources