indie folk
Indie folk is a music genre that arose in the 1990s among musicians from indie rock scenes influenced by folk music. Indie folk hybridizes the acoustic guitar melodies of traditional folk music with contemporary instrumentation.
The genre has its ...
The recording of the album came about because Reuben Bullock, the singer and guitarist of the band, happened to meet Christopher Hayden in Mexico whilst on vacation. This led to some sessions in Mexico followed by more in Canada, before
Stephen Kozmeniuk
Stephen Kozmeniuk, known professionally as Koz, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, engineer and instrumentalist. Production and writing credits include Madonna, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, and Dua Lipa. Koz received 3 Grammy nominatio ...
was brought in to record more tracks.
Critical reception
Zachary Houle, writing for
Popmatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
, gave the album six stars out of ten, and whilst he liked the debut, he had reservations about some of the tracks. "Funeral Sky is a engaging listen, even if it doesn’t fire on all cylinders as one would like. The folksiness of the album is enjoyable, and even when the record stumbles, there’s something of interest to have for the listener." Matt Bobkin, writing in
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
, had similar sentiments to Houle, stating; "The band's identity oscillates between pop craftsmen and languid folkies, with the album at its best when they hit that sweet spot in the middle. Funeral Sky is a decent debut, but the band definitely sounds like they have potential for something greater."
During the
2015 Canadian federal election
The 2015 Canadian federal election held on October 19, 2015, saw the Liberal Party, led by Justin Trudeau, win 184 seats, allowing it to form a majority government with Trudeau becoming the next prime minister.
The election was held to elect m ...
campaign, it was revealed that Funeral Sky was one of the albums that
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...