DULUTH — From their birth until the day they were put to tape, the songs on Humbird’s new album Right On grew up on the road.
Siri Undlin, the creative force behind Humbird, wrote the songs while on tour, inspired by the people and places she saw out the window. When she brought them to her band, the trial runs and learning took place in green rooms and during soundchecks. And before recording the tracks in Eau Claire with producer Shane Leonard, they grew and changed as the band played them to audiences around the country.
“It’s almost like the songs were living things that kind of told us what they wanted and what they didn’t want,” Undlin said, speaking to KAXE backstage before a May 30 show in Duluth.
The album begins with the title track, which at first glance is a sad heartbreak song but reveals itself to be a personal reminder that you have to work for the things you love. According to the singer, it is about not giving up, even when a relationship falls apart.
“Even if you’re heartbroken, that doesn’t mean you necessarily give up on something,” Undlin said.
There is also a recognition of her own role in the events that inspired the song, summed up beautifully in the line “I cast the dye, I stained my hands.” Beyond the clever play on words, it was important to acknowledge that you have to clean up your own messes.
Right On is Humbird’s third album and a new direction for the singer. Added to the introspective folk of 2019’s Pharmakon and 2021’s Still Life are more prominent electric guitars with driving electric bass and drums. In Undlin’s own words, “In this era of the band, we are definitely rocking out more, and it’s super fun.”
"Everyone should babysit, everyone should work in the service industry and everyone should go on tour for a week just to get their bearings."Siri Undlin
"Ghost on the Porch” showcases the rocking and the fun and lyrically recalls earlier Humbird albums. Built around a jumping guitar line that is mirrored by mandolin, it came to Undlin while she was messing around with a thumb pick. At the time of writing, she was listening to a lot of West African bands like Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar, and it bears a similar rolling and hypnotic feel.
The lyrics are vintage Humbird, describing a woman who is visited by her mirror image and given a warning to flee her home. Simultaneously an eerie folk tale and a head-bobbing indie-rocker, it links Right On to the group's earlier albums.
The new sounds are resonating with listeners and have brought new opportunities for Undlin and her band. This spring, they embarked on a countrywide tour that included a run of shows opening for indie-rock rising star Indigo De Souza. In the summer, they opened for Americana artist Brent Cobb. They were also headlining many of their own shows in between.
Despite the increased visibility and the growing size of the venues they play, Undlin is honest about the challenges of touring as an up-and-coming independent artist. The band puts out social media calls looking for places to stay in each city. The budgets are tight even if every show does well. Plus, there's the most obvious challenge: They are still five friends who live extremely close to each other in a minivan for months at a time.
"I think everyone should [experience touring],” Undlin laughed. “Not everyone wants to, but everyone should babysit, everyone should work in the service industry and everyone should go on tour for a week just to get their bearings.”
There is a certain irony to an album that was so fully created on the road, leading to more time on the road. For most, living in a van with little to no alone time might lead to a breakdown. For Undlin, it was a creative space that expanded her sound and led to one of KAXE's favorite albums of the year.
Listen to the full conversation with Undlin above, and check out this 2023 interview where she gave an early preview of Right On.
