Umphrey’s McGee Explore Country-Music Nostalgia on Heartland Ballad ‘Ride on Pony’

Umphrey’s McGee embrace nostalgic country-rock in the new song “Ride on Pony.” The prog-minded jam stalwarts temper their typical improvisational exploration to take a trip down memory lane in the brawny heartland ballad, which features earnest acoustic strumming uplifted by arena-ready distortion-soaked chords and anthemic organ swells. The standalone single, which premieres on Rolling Stone Country, follows up the band’s pair of 2018 albums, It’s Not Us and It’s You.

Written by Umphrey’s McGee’s lead guitarist Jake Cinninger, the song was inspired by the blue-collar reflective style of Bob Seger and accordingly includes lyrics about simple pleasures of youth — the Stones on the radio and laughs over cold brews with old friends. In the opening verse he sings: “Looking back on my life when it was cool to be young/Beer in the back of pickup trucks and a sack of clovers just to press the luck.”

“This song goes back almost to pre-adolescence,” Cinninger said in a statement. “It harkens back to the days of those mixed-up feelings and trying to cut loose. We tried to recapture some of those magical years gone past.”

A dynamic live act with a devoted grassroots following, Umphrey’s often blend elements of psychedelic rock, funk, and free-jazz into their marathon sets. “Ride on Pony” has been in the six-piece outfit’s repertoire since 2009, but they finally decided to record the song earlier this year at Telefunken Studios during a tour stop in Connecticut.

The band will uphold their road-warrior reputation throughout the rest of the year and well into 2020. Following a four-show run at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver (December 27th, 28th, 30th, 31st), the group will embark on an extensive winter tour in the new year, starting with a two-night stand at New York’s Beacon Theatre on January 17th and 18th.

Umphrey’s McGee Tour:
December  27 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
December 28 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
December  30 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
December  31 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
January 17 – New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
January 18 – New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
January 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Brooklyn Bowl
January 23 – Jim Thorpe, PA @ Penn’s Peak
January 24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
January 25 – Columbus, OH @ Express! Live
January 29 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ The Clyde Theater
January 30 – Northfield, OH @ MGM Northfield Park
January 31 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
February 1 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
February 12 – Memphis, TN @ Graceland Soundstage
February 13 – Pelham, TN @ The Caverns
February 14 – Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 15 – Asheville, NC @ ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 26 – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom
February 27 – Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
February 28 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
February 29 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
March 12 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park
March 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
March 14 – Oakland, CA @ Fox Theatre
March 15 – San Rafael, CA @ Terrapin Crossroads
March 20 – Reykjavik, Iceland @ Rockjavik
March 21 – Reykjavik, Iceland @ Rockjavik
March 22 – Reykjavik, Iceland @ Rockjavik
April 2 – Kansas City, KS @ The Truman
April 3 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
April 4 – St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
April 5 – South Bend, IN @ Morris Performing Arts Center
April 16 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
April 17 – Austin, TX @ Stubb’s BBQ
April 18 – Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
April 19 – Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom
April 24 – New Orleans, LA 2 The Fillmore New Orleans
April 25 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore New Orleans
July 2-5 – Scranton, PA @ The Peach Music Festival