Umphrey’s McGee release surprise single ‘Easter In Quarantine’

The band, before social distancing // Courtesy Umphrey’s McGee

Not unlike the rest of the country and the world, improv-rock gurus Umphrey’s McGee have found themselves with an empty-for-now itinerary and, in isolation, the strange daily balance of making sense of it all and making use of the extra time. Today, UM released “Easter In Quarantine.” Penned and recorded by Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss, mixed, and mastered in the course of just over two weeks, “Easter In Quarantine” is a haunting, moody reflection that encapsulates the zeitgeist of this surreal experience we’re all having. “Easter In Quarantine” can be streamed and purchased here.

The song’s refrain of “looking for a way to wait it out” and “looking for a way to make it out alive” gives way to an uplifting tag, promising “I’ll see you when I see you, on the other side.” The song closes with something atypical for Umphrey’s McGee, a saxophone solo. Played by Jake Cinninger—along with the rest of the instrumentation on “Easter In Quarantine”—the outro leaves listeners with maybe a little more hope than they started the song with.

Please spend your Easter in self-quarantine.