Recently, we reported on a seemingly random but exciting new collaboration between Umphrey’s McGee and ESPN’s Around the Horn. The popular sports talk show did a segment for UMBowl this past May at the Capitol Theatre (watch below), then later took on the band to create a new theme song.
In a new interview with ESPN, Umphrey’s keyboardist Joel Cummins dishes on how the relationship developed. ATH coordinating producer Aaron Solomon, a fan of the band, reached out back in 2010 and invited the band to the show, where they immediately hit it off. Since then they’ve made many trips to the studio, and even had Tony Reali sit in at a show in DC on both percussion and keys. About a year ago, Solomon proposed creating a new theme song, and the band was in.
Cummins explains that Solomon “wanted something with a little more punch, authenticity and driving funk. We did a few things, including re-recording and updating the theme song many know and love and creating some specific break music for going to commercials. With the breaks we did, Solomon actually identified an improvisational section of music Umphrey’s McGee had already previously performed as ‘the perfect break music.'”
“We really wanted to create a funkier, hipper vibe than what they currently had going on,” he continues. “We were very pleased with how things turned out and thrilled that the ATH crew were into what we created.”
Read the full interview here.