Could not shake you from this fantasy
The story always ends in tragedy
Logic failed by your own fallacy
Your love is like a house of cards…
It all falls apart
Born in the restless underground of Rockford, Illinois, in 1987, The Funeral March of the Marionettes took shape under flickering neon and the weight of influence. Bowie’s theatrical poise, The Cure’s aching dirges, Siouxsie’s serrated wail, and Bauhaus’ spectral howl all left their fingerprints on the band’s DNA. Their name was a macabre nod to Charles Gounod’s Funeral March of a Marionette, forever linked to Alfred Hitchcock Presents – and it fit their dark, dramatic vision like a mourning veil.
Their tenure burned through the late ’80s into the mid-’90s. Time passed, but the embers never cooled: in 2017, founding member Joe Whiteaker, sensing the weight of the band’s 30-year mark, resurrected The Funeral March, bringing lost recordings to light. The Raven, a remastered collection from their first era, finally surfaced: a long-overdue offering, unearthed from the vault, breathing new life into their sound.
“I looked up, and I was the only original member left, and after many years of fits and starts, when it all fell apart again,” Whiteaker later reflected. “I decided it was time to leave it to slumber in its crypt…dreaming the blood red dreams of madness.”
Over the years, The Funeral March saw shifting lineups, but in 2020, Joe Whiteaker found steadfast creative allies in guitarist Wayne Thiele and, by 2021, bassist Darius McCaskey. Together, they reignited the band’s vision, releasing a flurry of EPs and singles before stepping into the studio in 2023 to record what would become their swan song, It All Falls Apart. Produced by William Faith in Chicago, the album features guest performances from Ria Aursjoen (Octavian Winters, AURSJOEN), Rob Hyman ([melter]), and Renard Platine. The most recent live formation included guitarist Jeff Goins and drummer Joel DeLuna.
Tragedy struck in May 2024 when Whiteaker succumbed to pancreatic cancer, leaving behind an unfinished chapter that his bandmates now carry forward. As a tribute to their late founder and guiding force, The Funeral March unveils the first of two video singles from their final studio album: a requiem, a reckoning, a lasting echo.
“I’d like people to know how proud Joe was of this record,” McCaskey reflects. “We had a great time recording…with William Faith in 2023, before Joe was diagnosed with cancer, and he was able to hear the final mixes before he passed away. Joe didn’t have a specific theme in mind; each song was written independently, some even several years ago. But as tracks were selected and refined, this idea of things and people breaking down and falling apart emerged.”
The video for the title track and lead single brings together poignant final footage of The Funeral March, filmed just before Joe Whiteaker’s passing. Created in collaboration with Lumbra Productions, the clip was produced and directed by the band and expertly edited by Scott Fedor. Starring The Funeral March alongside Ty Yaeger, Jr. as its central figure, the video serves as both a visual elegy and a powerful prelude to their final record.
“The videos were both shot entirely in Rockford, Illinois, because Joe’s health prevented him from traveling to Chicago where we’d initially planned on filming,” says McCaskey. “(Ty Yaeger) had done voiceover work for Joe on several motion comics projects before and was our first and only choice to star. We had difficulty scheduling the outdoor shots, which led us to film them several months after the indoor scenes. Rather than try to dodge the discrepancy with post-production effects, we leaned into it so the contrast between is more pronounced. These music videos are the last time Joe would be captured on film.”
Watch the video for “It All Falls Apart” below:
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On Saturday, March 15, The Funeral March’s surviving members: Darius McCaskey, Jeff Goins, and Joel DeLuna, along with guest vocalists, will gather at Rockford’s RPL Nordlof Center for a special release celebration. The night features performances from TATV GRAL, [melter], BELLHEAD, and William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, et al.). For those unable to attend in person, the event will also stream live via the band’s Bandcamp.
Joe Whiteaker leaves behind a wife and two children, and all proceeds from the release of It All Falls Apart will directly support the family. Listen to selections from the album below and pre-order It All Falls Apart here.
It All Falls Apart by The Funeral March of the Marionettes
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The post Gothic Rockers The Funeral March of the Marionettes Release Poignant Posthumous Video for “It All Falls Apart” appeared first on Post-Punk.com.
