To celebrate guitarist Jake Cinninger‘s 45th birthday on Wednesday, Umphrey’s McGee shared”Interloper” as a single. The instrumental had previously appeared on the it’s not us BeSides release in 2018 alongside other demos, alternative mixes, live renditions, and bonus tracks.
“Interloper” was written by Cinninger beside UM keyboardist Joel Cummins and bassist Ryan Stasik one late night at Cinninger’s Boondock Studios, per JamBase. The band allegedly played a bit of musical chairs at that initial session, with Stasik on piano, Cinninger on drums, and Cummins on Rhodes piano and synth. Later, Brendan Bayliss would overdub the track with guitar melodies and live sounds captured in the Niles, MI wilderness surrounding the studio.
Related: Jake Cinninger Shares Solo “Glory” From Holiday Show [Watch]
The track hits the ground running with a crash of piano keys that soon string together in a style reminiscent of the intro to Van Halen‘s “Right Now”. Gradually taking on a slow build, “Interloper” knows exactly when to pull back on the gas as Umphrey’s stretches this one out for a comfortable six minutes. With the knowledge of band members donning each other’s instruments, the song also provides some fascinating musical perspective as to each player’s vision in a different seat. Between ascending guitar licks, rollicking drum marches, and far-out synth modulations, “Interloper” captures the live nature of Umphrey’s McGee right in the studio before fading out into the ambient sounds of nature.
Enjoy the sounds of a woodpecker at the end of this song. An old one that fell through the cracks and we have brought it back to the public. Jake on drums, Stasik on piano and Joel on synth. Fun times. That’s Jake’s outdoor nature at end in Michigan! 🤘🏽🤘🏽circa 2016 pic.twitter.com/dt4Dv4Bej1
— BassikStasik (@ryanstasik) December 16, 2020
Listen to “Interloper” by Umphrey’s McGee via your preferred player below.
Umphrey’s McGee – “Interloper”
[Video: Various Artists – Topic]
[H/T JamBase]