Twenty-five years in, Umphrey’s McGee shows no signs of slowing down as the band continues rolling out new music with its latest single, “Staircase”. The standalone track arrives in the midst of the prog-jam sextet’s yearlong 25th-anniversary celebration, otherwise known as “umXXV.”
Arriving seven months after the band’s last album, Asking For A Friend, “Staircase” takes a decidedly different approach from the band’s typically crunchy overtones. Digitized drums and light keyboard blips make the track barely distinguishable as an Umphrey’s McGee production until Brendan Bayliss‘ vocals arrive. The song takes its time to develop, but ultimately breaks open into a vast landscape of power chords and crushing drums that carried Umphrey’s McGee to umXXV.
The simplistic structure of “Staircase” points to the fact that bassist Ryan Stasik constructed the song’s bones using the TonePad app on his phone.
“I had been writing a lot during covid lockdown,” Stasik said of putting the song together following a morning surf. “I thought it was pretty cool and added some drum loops, some Moog Taurus basslines, and some synth bass. Then I sent it to Bayliss asking if he could add anything or work his magic. He did.”
Bayliss continued the saga, “I recorded some vocals over [Stasik’s] parts and then a few months later I was messing around with what is now the chorus section. Once I spliced the two together I knew that we had just finished a new song; one that doesn’t sound like anything else we were working on at that time.”
Along with the new single, Umphrey’s McGee has introduced another element of its 25th-anniversary celebration with the new umXXV Digital Collectibles. Produced in partnership with Lively, these digital tokens from the band’s ongoing tour correspond with each stop and grant the owner access to exclusive content, communications, and more. Limited to 25 per performance, each digital ticket art includes a download of that evening’s concert.
“As we kick off our 25th-anniversary tour, we’re excited to continue to engage with the UM fan base using another innovative technology,” keyboardist Joel Cummins said. “Each show on the tour will be commemorated with 25 limited edition copies featuring unique ticket stub art & soundboard audio. It’s going to be a fun ride and we’re excited to have you join us.”
Check out the new Umphrey’s McGee single “Staircase” and catch the band on the road for the umXXV tour.
Umphrey’s McGee – “Staircase”
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