Last year’s Similar Skin saw Umphrey’s McGee aim to strut their rock and progressive roots, with touchstones ranging from the Police and U2 (“The Linear”), the Beatles (“No Diablo”), Nirvana (“Loose Ends”) and Led Zeppelin (“Hindsight”) to Metallica, Soundgarden and Pantera (“Puppet String”) and even the symphonic rock of Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Yes or Genesis (the closing nine-minute live staple, “Bridgeless,” finally committed to record).

UM were also the first group to launch its own single-artist streaming service. Despite attempts at categorizing UM, the band has devoted its craft to making their devoted followers feel as if they are part of something larger, through such technology-fueled innovations as fan-curated sets, the immersive high-end audio offering, “Headphones & Snowcones,” where the pristine sound of the live soundboard mix is piped wirelessly through high-end personal monitor systems and headphones, as well as making every live show since 2005 available via their live music portal. The 2007 double album, Live at the Murat, earned a four-star review in Rolling Stone and a Jammy for Best Live Album. Their initial “proper” recording, Local Band Does OK, came out in 2002, followed shortly afterward by an appearance at the first-ever Bonnaroo in Tennessee, selling more albums than any other band on the bill. The original Umphrey’s McGee played a mix of originals and cover songs, waiting just eight months to release their debut album, the cheekily titled Greatest Hits Volume III. The stealth recording session yielded 10 tracks in a single day, proving once again, the prolific UM waits for no one. Their brand-new studio album, The London Session, was a dream come true for the members having been recorded at the legendary Studio Two at historic Abbey Road. After releasing their eighth studio album, Similar Skin, the first for their own indie label, Nothing Too Fancy (N2F) Music (distributed by RED), the group continue to push the envelope and test the limits.

But then that wouldn’t be consistent with the work ethic demonstrated by the band, which consistently attempts to raise the bar, setting and achieving new goals since forming on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, IN, in 1997. After 17-plus years of performing more than 100 concerts annually, releasing eight studio albums and selling more than 3.5 million tracks online, Umphrey’s McGee might be forgiven if they chose to rest on their laurels.

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