Umphrey’s McGee is still on the Up and Up

For nearly
any band that one could name, the chance to record at London’s legendary Abbey
Road Studios is not an opportunity to pass on or squander. Perhaps made most
famous by The Beatles, who recorded a great deal of their music there and named
their 11th studio album after the studio and the street it sits on, bands and
artists as varied and diverse as Pink Floyd, The Hollies, Fela Kuti, The Zombies,
Duran Duran, Radiohead, Bush and many others, have recorded some of their most
well known albums at Abbey Road as well.

So, when
veteran jam rockers, Umphrey’s McGee, was informed that it had been able to
secure a 12-hour window at the studio, the group hustled to make sure that time
would be maximized. What came from those recordings was the band’s ninth studio
release, The London Session, which is comprised of nine original songs,
and one appropriate Beatles cover, all recorded in that half-day period. Not
only does the band truly demonstrate how powerful and tight it has become over its
nearly two decades playing together, but it shows off its ability to deliver an
exceptional, skilled, and cohesive album in a very short period of time.

Recently, CULTURE
was able to catch up with Umphrey’s keyboardist Joel Cummins to hear all about
the excitement of recording in such a hallowed studio, the band’s future plans
and ambitions, and the optimism the group has for the future of cannabis
legalization.

How surreal
was it to get to record at such a legendary studio? Was there ever a feeling of
being star struck, more or less, just walking into Abbey Road Studios?

You know, it
was one of those things that was hard to believe it was actually happening
until we were there doing it. Once we got in there, it was surreal the whole
day. It was funny, because we still had the usual recording studio experiences;
having these super high energy moments of intense focus trying to get a good
take of a song, and then having the lulls between takes. However, those lulls
were quite different this time because within five seconds of finishing a take,
you’d catch your breath, look around, and then realize, “Oh yeah, we’re at
Abbey Road!” So every 10 minutes or so, you’d have a little pinch yourself
moment.

The band
has played at several festivals over the years, which support cannabis legalization
efforts both nationally and internationally. Is it exciting for you all to see
the legalization movement gaining so much momentum and press these days?

It is
definitely exciting, and I think, obviously with our fan base, there’s a little
more excitement than what you would see with a typical rock and roll audience. But,
I think there’s been enough studies and science out there to show that
recreational use, and especially medical use, has something of value. We’re a
band that, when our fans come out to our shows, they want to listen to music,
they want to dance, they want to have a good time. People are not coming to
fight, people are not coming to cause trouble. So marijuana is something that
kind of fits in with that as well. Obviously, we play a decent amount of shows
in Colorado and Washington state, so our fans have really gotten to enjoy
traveling those places and enjoy some of the local laws that have changed.

The band
already has a lot on its plate for 2015, however, are there any other plans and
ambitions for Umphrey’s
McGee this year?

Always! We
actually have a couple things coming down the pipeline that I can’t share just
yet. In general, we’re just trying to keep connecting with our fans on a really
human level, and it’s one of the things that we’ve realized we can use
technology to promote. Those sorts of things are what we’re interested in for the
rest of the year.