Humbird — the musical project fronted by singer-songwriter Siri Undlin — are off to their next chapter with the release of Right On. Not only have they been signed to a major label, Vancouver-based Nettwerk Music Group, but the latest album, Right On, has a grittier, more electric feel than previous releases. It’s all part of the band’s evolution. “I feel like we're in our teenage years now,” Undlin says.

Just about to embark on tour in support of the record, Humbird — Undlin along with drummer Nathaniel LeBrun and bassist Pat Kuehn — visited The Current studio for a session hosted by Radio Heartland’s Mike Pengra. Watch and listen to the full session above, and read a transcript of the interview below.

Interview Transcript

Mike Pengra: I'm walking in the woods a couple of days ago and we're walking through Theodore Wirth Park and who to run into, but Humbird, aka Siri Undlin. Hi, Siri. 

Siri Undlin: Hey, Mike!

Mike Pengra: Good to see you again.

Siri Undlin: Good to see you, too. Thanks for having me.

Mike Pengra: Twice in three days.

Siri Undlin: I know! That's pretty cool.

Mike Pengra: We're here to talk about your new record, Right On, which is fabulous. I'm just really enjoying it. 

Siri Undlin: Thank you.

Mike Pengra: This is album number three for you. And it's a little different. It's a little bit, you've got some edginess to your personality in this one, I think. Tell me about the creation of his record. 

Siri Undlin: Yeah, this record is definitely a little grittier and a little rougher around the edges. And it was recorded to tape in kind of a old-school style. So there's also a warmth to it. And yeah, it was really fun to lean into some newer emotions within this band. I think in past records, I've leaned more into like, reflective, contemplative spaces. And when I was writing these songs, I often was angry. And in recording the music, we had a blast, like just so much fun. And I think that both of those emotions add a lot of energy to the process, a lot of, like, forward momentum, and I think it's, you can feel it on the record, which is really exciting.

Mike Pengra: Did you start writing it like, right after the pandemic or during the pandemic? Or I mean, why were those emotions there?

Siri Undlin: Yeah, during and after. And honestly, we recorded the record over three years ago now, but I still resonate with a lot of the emotions as I'm singing them today. So definitely still sitting with those feelings of anger and despair. And I think it's important to sit with those things. And music is a place where you can do so but not actually give up on anything, you just metabolize it, move through it.

Mike Pengra: Anger about what?

Siri Undlin: Yeah, I think there was a lot that I was working through on like a personal individual level, and then living in South Minneapolis and reckoning with the events of George Floyd's murder and how it changed the neighborhood, and how I perceived the city to be shifting and changing, and people in power really not doing enough but observing my neighbors giving everything, and wanting to give voice to those emotions. But that paired with starting to tour again around the country, and seeing, you know, the miles and miles of mono crops across the country and the gas station stops and connecting with people in different regions and seeing how beautiful a place can be but also how complicated. All of that mixes together on this record.

Mike Pengra: Kind of like growing up in a way, isn't it?

Siri Undlin: Yeah, definitely a loss of innocence. If Humbird, the band, was actually like a small child, I feel like we're in our teenage years now.

Mike Pengra: That's cool.

Siri Undlin: Yeah.

Mike Pengra: You recorded it with Shane Leonard. And you said, "live to tape"; explain what that means.

Siri Undlin: Yeah, basically, there's a tape machine in the room, and Shane tells you to go, and you just have a couple of tries, which is different than a digital approach where you have infinite tries. If you don't get it perfect, you can just try again and you can do that ad nauseam, like you never necessarily have to settle on one thing. But the tape has such a physical quality to it, and it really requires the band to be together and present in the room. And also there's really fun imperfections on every song, because it was less about like, "Did we nail it perfectly?" and it was more about, "Are the emotions there? Is the vibe there?" And it was a really refreshing way to make a record. Turns out I like strongly prefer it.

Mike Pengra: Really?

Siri Undlin: Yeah, I didn't expect that.

Mike Pengra: And you've worked with Shane before, haven't you?

Siri Undlin: Yeah, Shane produced our first record.

Mike Pengra: Yeah.

Siri Undlin: Pharmakon.

Mike Pengra: I really like the way the trio sounds. It reminds me of—

Siri Undlin: Awesome!

Mike Pengra: ... the '60s, maybe, you know, Cream or the Who or something. There's some really cool stuff going on playing as a trio.

Siri Undlin: Thank you!

Mike Pengra: Do you like it that way too?

Siri Undlin: I love it.  Yeah. It's so fun, especially as someone who came up as like a singer-songwriter, very much steeped in the folk tradition. Playing with the full band and experimenting with the sounds and learning from my bandmates on like, "Well, how do we up the ante? How do we make this even more just ridiculously fun?" I've loved it. Yeah, yeah.

Mike Pengra: Yeah.  So if this is the trio sound, what's the next thing for you, the next record gonna bring?

Siri Undlin: I don't know. I feel like this record has taken such a long time to come to fruition. It's been a really long process. And I'm always rushing to the next thing and looking over the horizon. But for whatever reason in this season, I've been like, how about you just chill out?

Mike Pengra: Yeah.

Siri Undlin: Turn up the guitar amp, have fun, see what happens when it happens. So we'll see.

Mike Pengra: Getting ready to go on tour. You just signed with a label.

Siri Undlin: Uh huh.

Mike Pengra: This is big news since the last time we talked.

Siri Undlin: It's true. Yeah, a lot has changed.

Mike Pengra: For the good.

Siri Undlin: I think so. Yeah, we're riding the wave of things changing and exciting stuff happening, but trying to stay grounded in the actual music. For sure.

Mike Pengra: The CD release show is happening on May 31 at the Turf Club.

Siri Undlin: Yep.

Mike Pengra: Should be a fun night, looking forward to it.

Siri Undlin: Yeah, me too.

Mike Pengra: Siri, congratulations on the record.

Siri Undlin: Thank you, Mike! 

Mike Pengra: And thank you for coming in.

Siri Undlin: Thank you for having us.

Gallery: Humbird in studio

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Songs Performed

00:00:00 Ghost On The Porch
00:02:56 Blueberry Bog
00:05:26 Cornfields and Roadkill

All songs from Humbird’s 2024 album, Right On, available on Nettwerk.

Musicians

Siri Undlin – electric guitar, vocals
Pat Kuehn – electric bass, vocals
Nathaniel LeBrun – drums

Credits

Guests – Humbird
Host/Producer – Mike Pengra
Video – Megan Lundberg
Audio – Eric Xu Romani
Camera Operators – Evan Clark, Megan Lundberg
Graphics – Natalia Toledo
Digital Producer – Luke Taylor

External Link

Humbird – official site