Umphrey’s McGee returns with their fifth studio album in their storied decade-plus career. Death by Stereo, which was released on September 13, is a varied collection of tunes spanning multiple genres from garage punk to metal to progressive rock to country to funk to 70s R&B and 80s synth pop. Of course, along the way, the band also manages to imprint the album with its own unique UM blend, but what stands out on the record most of all is the disc’s ability to showcase a unified and singular point of view. This is a band still very much in its prime and, whereas they have been a live improvisational juggernaut for years, the sextet has also matured into a solid outfit willing to express themselves in the studio in a very clear, defined and patient way.
Jambands.com sat down with guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Jake Cinninger during a rather busy week which saw the band play a multiple night run at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl, including another in their ambitious improvised Stew Art Series. The band is touring to support the new album during a year in which they continue to scale back their live gigs, while making sure to create new and memorable experiences for themselves and the fans when they do manage to hit the boards for a few weeks at a time. Cinninger is as focused and on point as his music, while displaying an astute sense of humor. He is also quite aware of the band’s legacy, and appears to have a fairly sound reading of the future while always keeping an eye on the history of sonic textures which has been recorded before.
RR: Compare the UM Bowls to the Stew Art Series/S2 events.
JC: [They are both] such a fan-interaction beast. It is trying to do something on the cutting edge as far as for an improv rock band. We came up with these little ideas, grouped up into four sections or four quarters [for the UM Bowls], and a lot of it is improv, off the cuff, and some of the stuff we work out ahead of time, depending on the quarter—second quarter can be mash ups of original tunes, or something like that, and that can be the focus of a whole quarter. It’s really up to the audience and us. It is very much in the moment. I’d say 30% worked out and 70% improv.
The Stew Art shows are very much improv and it is all about the audience and we just react. It is like we would normally do, but it is heavy on the improv as we are directed, where normally we would be the directors. This is where everyone gets their hands dirty.
RR: What was the genesis, or pre-production, of the work on Death by Stereo?
JC: Like a lot of Umphrey’s records, they come from drafts. Basically, like a great book has multiple drafts, or a good report or anything, the idea for how these songs blossom over time is that we can keep revisiting them and doing small little tweaks to the painting. A song like “Search 4,” for instance, was actually a Neil Young acoustic guitar-strummin’ really laid back version of a tune. Then I realized I wanted to do something a little different with the song and changed it into a progressive rock song. Because I didn’t settle on that first version, I was able to go back and look at the song from a different
perspective and completely change it. The original version of “Search 4” is on the demo cassette, and you can hear it on there to hear how different it actually is.
RR: “Search 4” definitely goes through a progression on the album track from art rock to a metal vibe with a strong guitar riff and a great guitar solo, so the demo would be fascinating to hear. With a bundle order, a fan can get a vinyl version of Death by Stereo, as well as Demos, which is on cassette [featuring 9 unreleased demos spanning 15 years of material]. What drove the idea to go so retro with not only an album, but a cassette release of all of this other work? Are you trying to tap into every idea to release your product so fans have all options?
JC: Yeah. It’s very much kind of a novelty thing. It is like we would look at ourselves in the fan perspective in that sense. Say my favorite band is Pink Floyd, or something like that, I would love to see them do something like this. It is what we wished our favorite bands did we’re trying to sort of evolve and look into the future and have a little bit more of a connection with our fan base. It’s more based on fun and collecting because we’re all collectors of music. It gets people back into the way music was listened to in the 70s and 80s—it was more personal.
RR: Interesting choice of words. Let’s talk about that. On the new album, you do seem to look into the future with your music by looking back into the past. There is tightness on the songs and there is a lot of variety in the music. Death by Stereo is, arguably, your most accessible record, but at the same time, it is a very complex work with a lot of exploration of different styles. Would you agree that the band is looking to the past while moving forward?
JC: Yeah. In the past, we definitely wanted to simplify things a little bit on the record, but still make it audibly rich and deep. A lot of the songs are a little bit simpler in form, but it kind of blows open the landscape a little bit more on dynamics. The record is a little bit more dynamic in that sense. Whereas Mantis is a little bit more of a dark piece, this is a light piece, a little more of a party vibe, a little more internationally accessible.
RR: Depth with lightness. I like that. And it is funny and ironic because the very first track, “Miami Virtue,” has a line that Brendan sings, “can’t take back this wasted time,” and there is no wasted time on this album at all.
JC: Right. (laughs) That’s true because it’s only like 41 minutes. It’s like Van Halen’s Diver Down —one side of the cassette says 12 minutes, and you flip it over and it says 10 minutes. (laughter) Like all of our records, the studio is a sacred place, a very special spot for us to basically get every song into the most finished version as possible. That’s where the studio is sort of a laboratory to really finish these songs that we have and get them the way that we perceive them, and which is a little bit harder to do live. In the studio, you can really put the bells and whistles inside a song and go, “Oh, that’s the way that we perceive the song.”
RR: Did you have stretches of time to work on this record, or did you carve out time in between short tour runs to get back into the studio?
JC: Yeah, it was an on and off process. We would go in for three days or one day. Over two years, we would do tracking, so we could always look back at the prior month and say whether we liked it or not, change it, redo it, or whatever. A lot of the demo stuff was done in my home studio, and at Bayliss’s house where he has a little studio there, too. We do most of our finished recording at IV Labs in Chicago—Manny Sanchez’s spot. He’s just got the most incredible gear, great ears, and he’s a beast on the Pro Tools. We record to tape, and then we throw it back into the digital domain. He’s just really got that whole process down and he’s really easy to work with.
RR: And he captures the many various nuances, as well. For example, on Death by Stereo, “Miami Virtue” is followed by the garage rock of “Domino Theory.”
JC: Bayliss had that track a while back, just an A and a B section. I remember we needed a few extra parts to kind of flesh it out because it was kind of in a simple form. You can hear that on the demos—Bayliss’s original version. I remember putting that [Cinninger hums the main riff from the tune] down—the bridge between the verse and the chorus. It needed that to push the chorus so hard, and that would be the final draft of the song.
RR: You’ve got the wah wah geared up on that song.
JC: Yeah, I was using this wicked Morley Pedal at IV Labs. It was a weird phase-y, old, nasty pedal and I plugged it through a Sears Silvertone head like Jack White plays. It was the trashiest sound and perfect for this one.
RR: “Booth Love” features another different side of the band with some R&B and soul and a really cool vocal performance with horns on the track, as well.
JC: Yeah, we wanted to Steely Dan the song out a bit. Again, that’s the way we look at a studio version as compared with a live version—that sort of be all, end all version of a song that we are really happy with, and now it is time to release it. In our heads, that is how we hear the song with all that little ear candy in there. [Michael] Mad Dog [Mavridoglou] and Dirty Little Secrets are our horn section on that song, who also always plays New Years with us. It’s all friends that we’ve known for years. [Mad Dog] came up with a great arrangement for it and just kicked ass.
RR: They play on “Wellwishers,” too. That’s another good combination where you’ve got a nice pop melody and a smart rock riff running through the song.
JC: Exactly. That song almost had a Beatles-y kind of vibe with its Ringo Starr-ed out drums, and, again, a very simple song and all really based around the melody and the push of the chorus when the chorus comes in. I remember, particularly, we did an old
magic trick that mastering guys do on their choruses. They make the choruses two decibels louder. It’s a cool “get your attention” tactic, and a lot of mastering engineers do that—when it comes up to the chorus, you get this little two-decibel bump in the master tape, and it really pushes the song halfway through.
RR: And another surprising, but really nice segue on the record from “Wellwishers” to the “Dim Sun” instrumental. I love that title.
JC: Yeah. Yeah. We were tossing around names. It came off really Floydish. I remember we recorded that one at my studio, actually, because we moved these great Telefunken microphones outside and you can hear the birds in the background. That’s basically me sitting outside with a Sears Silvertone acoustic student guitar from the 50s with these old rusty strings. I just did one take of it with a couple of really good microphones outside. It was still morning, so there weren’t a lot of weird overtones in the background. You could hear the birds on the feeder nearby. It was really peaceful.
RR: “Dim Sun” leads into “Deeper,” which I know is near and dear to your heart. Do you want to talk about the demo, which also appears on the cassette, and how it became what it did on the album?
JC: I remember coming up with this ideology for the next record, while talking with the guys, about trying to be more linear in our songwriting—just that word ‘linear’ by itself. It says a lot about the way music can be played or written, so, in a sense, Death by Stereo has a lot of that ideology where we are streamlining a riff a little bit longer, and letting something last a little bit longer on a stretch of road like something that is linear.
“Deeper” is a good example of that where there aren’t a lot of shifts going on in the song. It sticks pretty much to that groove until the very end of the song. It was about simplifying again, and looking at a long stretch of road, and imagining that being music, rather than, say, a bunch of jagged rocks. It’s kind of an analogy, and we used that idea a little bit more on this record. There is a little bit more of a maturity coming out with simplifying it; I think it is always harder to simplify after years of complexity. (laughs)
RR: When I was trying to define the whole album, I hit upon the word ‘mature’—“a mature sobriety about these proceedings; could be mistaking simplicity with a new found depth of clarity; Umphrey’s McGee, finding a way to explore new sonic and lyrical terrain, creates another winner.” I know you come from the same listening-experience background as I do, Jake. When you sit down with a record, you want the whole album experience, and not have to cherry pick songs. When you sit with the band to discuss a theme for an album, how do you describe that process?
JC: We definitely go through a lot of e-mails just getting the album to feel right and what songs are even going to be on there because we usually always have leftovers. It’s a constant process of tweaking, very small tweaks to the record, before it is finally a
finished product. It’s weird how long it takes that last little bit. You know we’re involved all the way down with the artwork, the photo shoot concepts, and things like that, so everyone has their brains wide open for change. No one is really settled on anything until we all go, “O.K., it’s finished.” Because once it’s finished, you can’t look back. That’s the weird thing about a record: “I wish I would have done the vocal part different,” or something like that. You just go in and do it the way you perceived.
Photo by Rob Chapman
RR: As you well know, 24/7, there are so many different personalities in Umphrey’s; yet, you were able to capture all of the varied sonic mixtures on the album. And it works, too. You also managed to include the point of view of the audience. The last track, “Hajimemashite” has been a fan favorite for a long time—great live song that has never been recorded on a studio album. How did you land on that particular arrangement for Death by Stereo?
JC: We wanted to definitely retain a live feel to “Haj.” It was really important for me to cut the solo at the end and play how I would play normally live—and with the vocal performance. The idea about the song, too, is that it has a very dynamic push. It starts with just the naked acoustic guitar and Bayliss singing without any instrumental backup until that second verse pops in. It’s like a real strategic and dynamic placement.
Then, I had an idea for the string part. I wanted that big Paul Buckmaster-type orchestral arrangement where it wasn’t really complex, but it complements the chord structure, just that big Rolling Stones-type kick ass arena ballad with the strings. I always wanted that…what’s the vibe I’m thinking…“Moonlight Mile.”
RR: Sticky Fingers.
JC: Yeah. Funnily enough, the last song on that Sticky Fingers record. To me, with “Haj” as the last song, it has that vibe to it, too, a little bit.
RR: Overall, your guitar solos on the record are very lyrical. The solos could be their own chorus section of the song, and they are just as memorable as any hook. Do you think of that sort of angle when you lay down the solo in the studio?
JC: Yeah, to me, I think that is one of the most important things. To be a soloist is to be really intentional in a David Gilmouresque kind of way. He’s one of my favorite lyricists on guitar because every note that he plays is almost written. The idea is that it doesn’t necessarily sound improvised, but it sounds written out, or definitely thought out. It even goes back to the Eddie Van Halen guitar solos on some of those records. They are so mapped out and perfect. And, you know, why not? It goes back to once it is recorded, you can’t look back, so it better be right. (laughs) Because I don’t want to hear this record ten years from now and not wanting to hear it again. I don’t want to be bitter about it.
RR: Who arranged the strings for “Deeper”?
JC: Our string arranger guy is Nathan Swanson, who is out of Chicago, and he did a lot of the Mantis stuff, also. It’s actually just one guy, and he comes in and does like 60 overdubs and it sounds like a symphony. He’s got a great ear, and basically, we sent some ideas his way, and he comes back with different drafts and ideas and, “oh, this one is going to work.” We’ve got a great team of sonic helpers out there. That’s for sure.
RR: Speaking of great ears, besides your own sets, Umphrey’s played Summer Camp at the end of May as Huey Lewis & the rUMors. On paper, it doesn’t appear that Huey would click with you guys, but he does, which goes all the way back to his first inspired appearance with the band at the Jammy Awards.
JC: Right. Being such a fan of that era, anyways, and our age range, all of us are huge fans as kids, so it’s like Huey is Uncle Huey. He tells the best stories, and he’s exactly the way you’d imagine him. He’s just always on, and a brilliant person. He’s got a steel trap mind, too. He remembers everyone’s first name. He’s got a great memory. And, you know, we respect him, and over time, he really respects us. It’s a really good feeling at the end of a show with him. He’s like Umphrey’s family.
RR: Let’s talk about some shows. Umphrey’s has some marquee events coming up—a Halloween run at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Thanksgiving in Chicago, and your first trip to St. Louis for a New Year’s Eve run. How was that locale selected?
JC: I’m really looking forward to them. It’s all about new spaces and new places. We’ve definitely gotten into a grid of playing a lot of the same areas for a lot of the big holidays. We wanted to change it up a little bit, and give the south a little love because we’ve got such a big, budding fan base down south. And really nowadays, it’s really easy to travel. Everyone is jumping into planes and getting into places. It gets people out of their comfort zone. If you’re from Chicago, you can come down and enjoy a little time in Atlanta or St. Louis. It works in the long run, and it’s fresh for us because it’s another place for us to do our magic show on a special night. Thanksgiving will be a blast at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago. We’ve got some really special things coming up. I think we’re having the Chicago mass choir come back for that one.
RR: As far as Chicago hometown dates, looking a bit back, how did the Dave Matthews Band Caravan spot go for Umphrey’s in early July?
JC: That was great. We had a little bit of time off and, all of a sudden, we had that show coming up, and all of our families came out because it was so close to home. Dave and the boys are such gracious hosts, and they’ve been really good to us over the years.
RR: With Red Rocks just before that on July 3.
JC: Red Rocks is the place to play, and probably the best stage in America to play. It really has that vibe and everyone has played there. It’s got stardust all over the stage.
RR: How much of your new fatherhood status has impacted the way you play and tour? How do you balance your life at home while being a full-time musician who is still attempting to push the envelope and create new art—either in the studio, as we discussed, or on the road?
JC: It’s been a really long ten years out here on the road, to be quite honest. It’s really trying to find that genuine time home so that we can really perform properly out here. It’s really based on trying to have a little bit more time off, even though we might tour a little bit heavier when we’re on. When we have four weeks off, that’s just amazing because you can really be normal, and get on a normal schedule. To be on this schedule out here in Tour Land is not easy to do 24/7, 365 days a year. You’ve got to have a break in there. We’ve learned over the years how to pace our energy throughout a year or tour season. That’s been really important. I think everyone has voiced their opinions about what they want, or what they need, and everyone is accommodated properly. And that’s really important because you don’t want to burn a band out.
[Fatherhood] is the most enlightening thing that can happen to you. I miss him dearly. I’ve only been gone for six days, and I was home for six weeks, and, actually, right now is really tough because I miss him. I have been used to seeing him every day, and now it’s sort of ripped away from me. That’s the one thing that gets a little bit tough out here more than anything. Luckily, we’ve got Skype and all those technologies to sort of soften the blow, but I tell you, it does get harder. Now that I do have a son, that’s my main focus, really. It’s not about me anymore, but, then, the music is the whole thing why everything exists, so everything has to just keep going. It’s like a constant cycle in perpetual motion. It’s like I wouldn’t let a kid, or a son, affect me musically. I don’t think I could let that happen. If anything, it would just empower it a little bit more. I feel like I am actually playing better than I was last year. I’m a little bit more patient. It’s weird. After setting the guitar down for long amounts of time, when I pick it up, I look at it differently, there’s like different grids, so it’s actually been healthy.
RR: How does that attitude impact your solo projects? Last time we spoke was last July when we talked about your Ali Baba’s Tahini album. Now that you’ve had a year to look back at that time, how do you view that whole Living Room experience?
JC: I love those guys in ABT and they are some of my best buddies, so it’s always a pleasure when they come up to my studio in Michigan—when I have some time off—and we can crank out a few tunes and set them on a shelf and, hopefully, finish a CD. It’s kind of like we don’t really get too extreme about setting deadlines or anything like that. It’s a very loose sort of scheduling. Sometimes, the other guys wait around for me until I have enough energy and time. (laughs) “Hey, let’s get together sometime and finish this bad boy up.” That’s what Living Room was about. And, then, I’ve got the OHMphrey’s project, which is a CD that is coming out, I believe, in January.
I’ve got the best job in the world. I’ve got to keep it going, you know? Pete Townshend said it best: [Cinninger imitates a Townshend accent] “What are you going to fucking stop playing music? What about the kids, man? The kids ?”
RR: You’ve hung around those guys for so long and maintained your sanity.
JC: That’s right. It’s not easy, I must tell you. (laughs) But, it’s…what’s normal, anymore? I used to say, “I have such an abnormal job.” Now, I say, “What’s normal?” That’s all those little mantras that help you along.
RR: It’s great to have a guitar and a band and an outlet because some people don’t.
JC: That’s true. I would hate to just be a lead vocalist. My God. (laughter) Joking. Joking.
