Umphrey's McGee singer/guitarist Brendan Bayliss has formally addressed his band's recent lineup changes. As previously reported, last year Kris Myers stepped away from Umphrey's McGee after 22 years and was replaced by Scotty Zwang and, earlier this month, guitarist Jake Cinninger officially left the group following an extended sabbatical. His departure has left Umphrey's McGee as a quintet, as they were from 1998, when Andy Farag first joined, until 2000, when Cinninger signed on.
In a message, Bayliss said,
I wanted to take a minute to say thank you to each and every one of you for being so supportive over the last several months and years. Surely it hasn’t been easy on any of you, and I know what it feels like to have one of your favorite bands go through some unexpected lineup changes. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith and focus on the positives.
Life certainly happens when you’re busy making other plans, but instead of thinking about what once was, I am looking at this moment as an opportunity to focus on what can and will be.
Recently, playing as a five-piece has brought back a sense of joy and excitement that feels really refreshing. There have been musical moments that remind me of the feeling of being in a basement playing music with friends simply for the pure joy of it all. There is a renewed sense of purpose and focus in the band, and we are all very excited for this next phase.
We are stoked to be working on new music and can’t wait to get it in front of you, and that makes us feel very optimistic about the future. Whether you’re an old school fan or a recently new casual listener, if you haven’t seen us in the past few months, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Hope to see you all soon.
Xoxo,
bb
Umphrey's McGee and moe. will resume their moe.mentUM Tour at Grand Rapids, MI's Frederik Meijer Gardens on August 12.
