From blisteringly loud, to delicately quiet, HUM rocks. Their beautiful, shimmering sound envelopes you like a cradle and transports you to another dimension filled with layers upon layers of dense guitar work, heavy percussion, smooth bass lines, and stellar, visual-like lyrics. Founded originally, circa 1989, by current front man Matt Talbott and drummer Bryan St. Pere, HUM has evolved through each of their five studio albums by sonic leaps and bounds. The additions of guitarist Tim Lash and bassist Jeff Dimpsey, pre Electra 2000, not only solidified their lineup, it projected their aural capabilities into the stratosphere. Their song formats and constructions are so detailed and intricate that it is quite possible for the listener to discover new particles of information upon subsequent intakes. If possible, listening to HUM's music through a quality pair of headphones can help with appreciating their intense and splendorous sound.

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Matt Talbott  /  As HUM's vocalist and guitarist, born June 27 and hailing from Cambridge IL, Matt has been involved with the band since its beginning. Prior to HUM, he was in the band We Ate Plato with Honcho Overload guitarist Kevin (K.C.) Driscoll. Matt was roommates at UIUC with Gordon Pellegrinetti of Bad Flannel, early Honcho Overload, Steakdaddy Six, and most recently, the moderator of HUM's 99% official website. Circa 1989-1990, Matt was working in a café called Treno's when he met up with various members of HUM. During HUM's earlier days, Matt was also the bass player for the band Honcho Overload, which also featured Jeff Dimpsey on guitar. With his own basement recording studio, Matt has helped record / produce for the bands Castor and Sarge.

In recent years, he purchased an old church and has fixed it up for a full-fledged recording studio. Currently, he is also in the band Centaur, where he plays guitar and sings with Derek Niedringhaus (bass) of Castor and Sarge, and Jim Kelly (drums) of Sixteen Tons and Lovecup. Matt is now married to Sue, the woman shown inside the cover artwork for You'd Prefer an Astronaut as well as "The Pod" import single. He has also made a guest appearance on the Space Ghost Coast To Coast television show. Some of Matt's (and HUM's) favorite bands are Dinosaur Jr., Failure, Bitch Magnet, The Flaming Lips, Rush, The Police, R.E.M., Lovecup, and My Bloody Valentine.

More recently, Matt was featured on the 100th episode of Third Gear Scratch, graciously hosted by the esteemed Allen Eply of Shiner and The Life and Times.

Bryan St. Pere  /  A fellow UIUC student, HUM's drummer Bryan, like Matt, has been involved with the band since its early inception. Legend has it that Matt overheard Bryan playing along on his drums to some Police and / or Rush songs and asked him to join the band. He has also filled in as a drummer for Steakdaddy Six and the drummer for Castor, for short stints.

After HUM's steady touring days, Bryan moved to Indiana for a pharmaceutical job with his family. More recently, he has appeared on The Trap Set podcast as well as the Crash Bang Boom Drumming Podcast!, sharing his thoughts on HUM in the time since releasing Downward Is Heavenward, as well as the recording of / playing on their fifth and latest album: Inlet.

Softly said with poignant saudade, during the summer of 2021 Bryan St. Pere passed away from those of us still here upon the ground. Ever at the very heart and soul of HUM's bombast and energy, and expressed with heartfelt gratitude for all of the wonderful moments and memories during our earthly sojourn - thank you, Bryan. You are truly missed. Your music, passion, and inimitable drumming - your gifts to us all, will always be lovingly cherished.

Jeff Dimpsey  /  HUM bassist Jeff Dimpsey met singer Bill Johnson of Honcho Overload in 1985 while inhabiting the same dorm at UIUC. The two hit it off and made some home brew recordings together. They soon formed the notorious band Bad Flannel with Gordon Pellegrinetti (HUM's web page moderator), Chris Green (HUM's tour manager), and Balthazar de Ley (Baltie) of Fillet Show era HUM, early Honcho Overload, and Mother / Menthol. Jeff and Bill later got jobs at Treno's where they met Matt Talbott. Around 1989, Jeff joined the Poster Children as a second guitarist, and is featured on their second album Daisy Chain Reaction.

Jeff (guitar), Matt (guitar), and Bill (vocals), with Chris (drums), and Rick Sims (bass) of The Didjits / Lee Harvey Oswald Band / Gaza Strippers / Supersuckers started kicking Honcho (then tentatively called The Forks) into full gear. After Baltie joined as a guitarist, Matt switched over to bass, and Mike Rader joined as the drummer, the group became Honcho Overload. Soon afterwards, both Baltie and Jeff bowed out of the band. After a week or so, Jeff was coerced into rejoining along with a new guitarist K.C. Driscoll. The band released two full length albums on the Champaign-Urbana label Mud Records: Smiles Everyone and Pour Another Drink, before dissolving somewhere between HUM's signing to RCA and the recording of You'd Prefer an Astronaut. Jeff had originally joined HUM as a bassist after Balthazar de Ley left, prior to the recording of Electra 2000.

Along with Jeff Garber of Castor, Jeff was involved with founding the band National Skyline, which has released their first s/t album. During a lull between HUM's touring after YPAA, Jeff wrote a 45 minute song, which was performed live a few times with Nick Macri of C-Clamp, Euphone, and Derek Niedringhaus of Castor, Sarge, and Centaur. The epic was committed to tape in the spring of 1997 by Poster Children / Salaryman member Rick Valentine, but was never released. Afterwards, the band reverted to a duo (Jeff Dimpsey and Jeff Garber) and recorded several tracks on Jeff Dimpsey's new 24-track, some of which are on National Skyline's s/t album. The band now consists of Jeff Garber (guitar), Jim Minor of Compound Red (guitar) and a DAT machine, with Jeff Dimpsey having switched over to a new venture called Gazelle, co-writing with Adam Fein of Absinthe Blind.

Tim Lash  /  As lead guitarist, Tim joined HUM pre E2K, replacing Andy Switzky from the Fillet Show time frame for the band. Having previously seen them play, Tim had told HUM to give him a call if they ever needed a guitarist. Prior to HUM, Tim was in the fast and complex metal band The Grand Vizars.

In later years, Tim has been busy with several side projects such as Alpha Mile, Balisong, and the dreamy, shoegaze inspired duo Glifted, where he, along with Lovecup bassist T.J. Harrison released the album Under and In, through Martians Go Home Records / Parasol.

Currently, Tim orchestrates part of the online presence for HUM, and has significantly helped with ushering in the band's latest album Inlet, after an otherwise quiet, 22 year semi-hiatus for the members. Tim not only played lead guitar and contributed to songwriting, but also undertook much of the album's mixing / engineering duties as well.

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HUM  /  HUM began around 1989, when Matt (guitar and vocals) teamed up with initial drummer Jeff Kropp and guitarist Andy Switzky, who had previously been in the band Obvious Man and had played with Designer Mustard Gas. Andy was the one who coined the name "HUM" for the band (possibly with help from Rick and Rose of the Poster Children) in an attempt to describe the band's characteristic sound. One early band name idea was the Beowulf inspired moniker, Grendel's Arm.

According to The Pod, HUM's first bassist was Akis Boyatzis. After he returned home to Greece in 1990, their second bass player was a fellow named Joe Futrelle who reportedly wore one size 16 Converse shoe. He was previously involved with Perils of Pauline, Designer Mustard Gas, and produced a Bad Flannel song entitled "Napalm". Departing HUM, Joe left to study music composition at a school in Massachusetts, writing and recording his own music. Rod Van Huis of Steakdaddy Six next joined HUM on bass, later to be a member of The Great Crusades with Honcho Overload drummer Mike Rader. Balthazar de Ley (Baltie), also of early Honcho Overload, was then HUM's next bassist, as well as a vocalist for the band. At this point in the coalescing of HUM, Bryan St. Pere had now officially settled in as their drummer.

In 1990, a pre album demo titled (Is Like Kissing an Angel, She Said) was made with Steve Albini at his then basement recording studio. Matt, Andy, Baltie, and Bryan all played on HUM's first album Fillet Show, which was recorded in 1991 at Clubhouse Studio in Champaign IL, engineered by Kent Whitesell. It was released on Rick and Rose's (from the band Poster Children) Twelve Inch Records label, and is long out of print. Baltie was responsible for the fish pictures featured on Fillet Show's cover art (and possibly the homophonic title pun). Two 7" singles for the songs "Hello Kitty" / "Roar, I'm a Tiger" and an early version of "Sundress" were released after FS, both also out of print.

After the album, Balthazar de Ley left HUM and formed the band Mother, later to sign to Capitol Records as Menthol. On bass, he was replaced by P-Kids and Honcho guitarist Jeff Dimpsey. Additionally, Andy Switzky was replaced by The Grand Vizars guitarist Tim Lash as lead. With this lineup, HUM's second album, Electra 2000, was an amazing leap forward in sound and playing style due to the new members, and to the acquiring of new and more powerful equipment. E2K was recorded and mixed in 1993 at Idful studios, Chicago Il, by Brad Wood under the Twelve Inch label.

The album was later reissued (with copper lettering for the band's name) on October 28, 1997 under Matt's own Martians Go Home label, along with the bonus track "Diffuse". This song had previously only been available on the Lotuspool Records compilation Feast of the Sybarites: A Collection of Lotuspudlians. In response to this incredible new album, HUM's fan base grew and they began to receive attention from major labels.

In 1994, HUM signed with RCA Records who, as Matt assessed, didn't have any bands on their roster like HUM. It was also felt among the band that the indie scene would not be lamenting the loss of HUM. Around this time, HUM's brother band Honcho Overload called it quits, one of the reasons being that Matt and Jeff wanted to focus on HUM.

You'd Prefer an Astronaut, HUM's third album and their major label debut, released April 11, 1995. Recorded and mixed by Keith Cleversley at his Playground Studio in Chicago, YPAA contained the popular radio hit "Stars", which helped introduce a much wider audience to HUM, and subsequently the Champaign music scene. "Stars" was a particular favorite of shock radio's Howard Stern, who invited HUM on his show, plugging the song. HUM also made several television appearances including visits to MTV's 120 Minutes (where they played live versions of two YPAA singles: "Stars" and "I'd Like Your Hair Long"), the Jon Steward Show, and Late Night with Conan O'Brien where, at the time, they were acknowledged as the loudest act ever in the history of the show.

HUM and Champaign director Tony Vegas produced a music video for the single "Stars" to be broadcast on MTV, although it wasn't entirely well received despite the song being a favorite with the staff at the network. A video for the single "The Pod" was released in early 1996, and was directed by OhioGirl's Andy Mueller. A promotional radio single for "I'd Like Your Hair Long" was also released, though a video was never made. The critical and commercial success of the album eventually led to it reaching the 250,000 sales mark. After extensive touring, HUM took some time off and proceeded to write new material. Around late 1996 / early 1997, HUM attempted to record the new material with Keith Cleversley, but sensing that they weren't ready, the band decided to wait a while longer before heading back into the studio to work on a new album. In the interim time, an EP-like demo titled It's Gonna Be a Midget Xmas was made, including rough takes on songs slated for the forthcoming album.

In late 1997, HUM recorded Downward Is Heavenward with Champaign producer Mark Rubel at Pogo Studio. The material, at this point, was more fleshed out and the band felt ready to be back making a new record. Their fourth album arrived in stores on January 27, 1998. The first single released was "Comin' Home", with a lavish video directed by HUM and Phil Harder, who also directed the video for Failure's "Stuck On You". In the spring of 1998, the second single off of DIH, "Green To Me" (originally titled "Moss Frog"), was released, and an accompanying video was made for MTV as well. Despite better promotion this time around from RCA, sales of the album were not overly high, due in large part to the changing music trends of the time.

On June 16, 1998, HUM and their tour van were involved in a minor automobile accident on their way to a show in Calgary, in the Canadian province of Alberta, where a man rushing to church ran a red light, crashing into HUM's vehicle. Fortunately no one was hurt, though Jeff ended up covered in spilled yogurt. Because of the accident, a few subsequent concert dates had to be canceled. Afterwards, HUM slowed down a bit, playing a few local shows here and there. Matt got married in August of 1998, and some new material was written and recorded by the band. Rumor has it that the new songs are perhaps residing on Jeff's hard drive.

For the most part, the members of HUM went their separate ways. Although they needed another album to fulfill contractual obligations with RCA, their management confirmed that HUM was dropped from the label. Otherwise, Tim enrolled in college, also engaging in side projects such as Glifted, and Bryan moved to Indiana with his family to pursue a pharmaceutical career. Jeff was subsequently involved with the band National Skyline, as Matt became active with Centaur and, at the time, his new studio (once Great Western Record Recorders, now Earth Analog). We can hopefully expect some new releases from Matt's facilities down the road, and maybe, someday, an odds 'n sods HUM B-side album and / or new songs. Who knows? Stranger things have happened...

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HUM Press Kit / Biography

RCA  |  Downward Is Heavenward

HUM don't do things the way other rock bands do. The Champaign, IL based band's new RCA Records album sports the typically enigmatic title of Downward Is Heavenward. It is the group's first since their '95 label debut, You'd Prefer an Astronaut, which produced "Stars", a song the band's lead singer / guitarist / lyricist Matt Talbott refers to as their "hit". The band could be seen and heard playing it - and others - on MTV, Lollapalooza's Second Stage, and radio's The Howard Stern Show. "I was thrilled to death we had a song that got played on the radio," says Talbott, disputing the fact he has an aversion to success after following up a pair of releases on fellow Champaign band Poster Children's 12 Inch Records label (Fillet Show and Electra 2000, the latter produced by Brad Wood) by moving over to RCA. "I was amazed we could sell as many records as we did last time," he says.

HUM's sonic universe is a solipsistic world that exists on its own terms, a maelstrom of sensations and colors, a thick metallic vortex of fuzz-toned guitars with a silent core at the center like the eye of a hurricane - equal parts home-grown and high-tech. Co-produced by Mark Rubel at his Pogo Studio in the band's adopted home since they formed in '89, Downward Is Heavenward offers a cacophony of overlapping harmonics and dense shards of electric guitars providing a counterpoint to Talbott's tales of innocence corrupted and love lost, the past mourned, the theories of physics and relativity applied to modern-day relationships and contemporary attitudes. HUM takes you on an interior journey that encompasses the gnarled rhythms and magic melodies of "Comin' Home", the rumble in the jungle of "Isle Of The Cheetah", tripping through the salamander-infested waters of "Afternoon With The Axolotls", and the back-to-nature de-evolution of "If You Are To Bloom" and "Green To Me".

Eschewing individual personalities to the whole, HUM is much, much more than the sum of its young, fast and scientific parts. "We are democratic to a fault," says Matt. "We barely function sometimes because if one guy doesn't like a part, even if the other three do, we'll rework the idea until we're happy with it. That's why it took so long to finish this album." HUM's songs are Rorschach tests, with Talbott preferring to leave their interpretation open to the listener, though he will admit "they're mostly just love songs when you break them down." Abstract lyrics jump out to form concrete images. "I'm thinking of a number between everything and two," sings Matt on "Apollo", a song about a woman who'd most certainly not prefer an astronaut, but a companion more down-to-earth, with his feet on the ground. "It's molecules of you." HUM break down personal relationships into their physical components and turn those particles into whole songs. "Glad we got your hands warm so my arms can feel like trust again." "The Inuit Promise".

You could say HUM were the thinking man's rock band, though not to their face. "We don't take ourselves very seriously, but we take what we do pretty seriously," insists Matt. "I like the the blown out sound we've found," sings Talbott in "Ms. Lazarus". "I like the way it feels here coming down." Like a camera obscura freezing an image for eternity, Downward Is Heavenward is all about turning space-time and its continuum upside down, rethinking rock & roll in a new light, turning emotions into a nuclear fission of colors, sounds, feedback and trance-n-dance. "Electrified and lit up by an outline of herself, and smiling now as only she can be." "The Scientists". HUM be dropping some mad science.

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Bands that HUM has toured with in the past:

Seam, Shellac, Poster Children, The Jesus Lizard, Tar, The Grifters, The Smashing Pumpkins, Liz Phair, Seaweed, Quicksand, God and Texas, Castor, Shiner, The Promise Ring, Frontier, Fuel, Feeder, Swervedriver, Heroic Doses, Bush, and The Toadies