Hum is an American alternative rock band from Champaign, Illinois. They were formed in 1989. The main group of members included lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Matt Talbott, bassist Jeff Dimpsey, lead guitarist Tim Lash, and drummer Bryan St. Pere.

They are best known for their 1995 radio hit "Stars." The band released three albums before they stopped performing in 2000. The band occasionally got back together for concerts during the 2000s. They started full tours again in 2015. In 2020, the band unexpectedly released Inlet, their first album in 22 years.

History

The band Hum was formed in 1989 with four members: guitarists Andy Switzky and Matt Talbott, bass guitarist Akis Boyatzis, and drummer Jeff Kropp. Talbott and Switzky met at a cafe called Treno’s in Urbana, Illinois, where Switzky worked. They talked about music, which led to them starting the band Hum. Talbott had previously played in a local group called We Ate Plato and was part of another band named Honcho Overload. Switzky had performed in a band called Obvious Man and had experience in a studio group named Designer Mustard Gas.

The group first played music in Akis’ basement for several months. At the suggestion of Rick Valentin from the band Poster Children, they chose the name "Hum" instead of other names like Grendel’s Arm, Pod, or Feedbag. The name was meant to describe their sound in a general way. Before finding their final drummer, they heard Bryan St. Pere playing music through his apartment window and asked him to join.

This lineup did not last long, as Boyatzis moved to Greece in 1990. Local musician Joe Futrelle, who had played with Switzky in Designer Mustard Gas, briefly joined the band before leaving to focus on other musical projects. He was replaced by Rod van Huis, who later played in a band called Steakdaddy Six. Van Huis left the band for personal reasons and later performed in a group called the Great Crusades. Balthazar "Baltie" de Lay, who was part of a band named Mother (later called Menthol), joined the band. With de Lay, the group recorded their first demo in the basement of famed engineer Steve Albini in Chicago.

The band recorded eight songs in one or two takes, with only vocal overdubs. They released a demo called Kissing Me Is Like Kissing an Angel. At this time, Switzky was the group’s main singer, guitarist, and songwriter, a role he kept when their first album, Fillet Show, was released in 1991 by a local label called 12 Inch Records. The album had a fast, heavy sound between punk rock and heavy metal, with more direct political and humorous lyrics compared to the more abstract lyrics Matt Talbott later wrote.

Pressure grew on de Lay to focus on his other band, Mother, so he left the group. Talbott suggested Jeff Dimpsey, his bandmate in Honcho Overload, to replace the bassist. Dimpsey had previously played guitar, and Talbott had played bass in Honcho Overload and with Poster Children, but the transition was smooth. The band recorded two singles, "Hello Kitty" and "Sundress," the former on 12 Inch Records and the latter on a new label called Mud Records. Around this time, the Champaign music scene grew, with members of different bands joining together for short-term projects. A company called Parasol Records helped promote local music nationally and brought alternative music to stores in Champaign, Illinois.

Creative differences led Switzky to leave the band. The remaining members recruited a local fan named Tim Lash, who was much younger than the others, to play guitar. Lash had previously played in a speed metal group called The Grand Vizars with musicians from other bands. He once told the band that if they ever needed a guitarist, they could call him.

The classic lineup of the band was now in place, and they recorded their next album, Electra 2000, at Idful Studios with producer Brad Wood. The album was released by 12 Inch Records and distributed through Cargo Records. The lyrics became more abstract and included themes of space and science that would appear in later songs. Although the album did not produce singles, Parasol Records helped it gain attention, leading to a deal with RCA Records. The band worked with local club owner Ward Gollings as their tour manager. For their major-label debut, You’d Prefer an Astronaut (1995), they worked with producer Keith Cleversley. The album’s biggest hit, "Stars," reached No. 11 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and No. 28 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band promoted the album with appearances on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, The Howard Stern Show, 120 Minutes, and a video featured on Beavis and Butthead.

The album sold 250,000 copies, and the band played their largest shows promoting it. Later singles like "The Pod" and "I’d Like Your Hair Long" did not gain much attention, and the band spent much of 1995 and 1996 touring. In late 1997, they recorded their fourth album, Downward Is Heavenward, with Mark Rubel at Pogo Studios. The album’s biggest promotion was an appearance on Modern Rock Live on January 25, 1998, and the album was released in February. Singles "Green to Me" and "Comin’ Home" were promotional-only, but "Comin’ Home" helped the band reach No. 37 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. By the end of 1998, the band had sold only 30,000 copies of the album. Around this time, the band missed a chance to record a song for The X-Files film soundtrack. Sting and Aswad instead recorded a reggae version of the song, keeping the band from reaching a larger audience. Due to poor sales and record label mergers, the band was dropped from their contract in 2000. While touring in Canada, the band’s van had a minor accident, which led to the group ending their career. Their final shows were in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 29, 2000, and in Chicago on December 31, 2000.

After Hum disbanded, Talbott formed a new band called Centaur with local musicians Derek Niedringhaus and Jim Kelly. Niedringhaus had been in a band called Castor and Sarge, which Talbott had produced. Kelly had worked with Parasol Records and played drums in bands like 16 Tons and Love Cup. Centaur released one album, In Streams, on a label called Martians Go Home, which was set up by the band to release vinyl versions of Downward Is Heavenward and a CD reissue of Electra 2000. A second album is being made. Talbott now runs a recording studio called Earth Analog Records and teaches at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. He also contributes vocals to a band called Open Hand on Trustkill Records and sang on a song from the album Act 1: Goodbye Friends of the Heavenly Bodies released in 2005.

Dimpsey revived a side project from 1997 called National Skyline with Jeff Garber, who was also in Castor. The band released a self-titled album, an EP called *

Influence

Hum has influenced many artists and groups, including Chino Moreno of Deftones, Narrow Head, Hundred Reasons, Citizen, Nothing, Cloakroom, Split Chain, Fleshwater, Modern Color, Superheaven, and Stemage.