by Harrison Terry

When I was younger, like middle school age, I really got into rock music, and I mean super into rock music and it’s still important to me now. Some of my favorites now are Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Backseat Lovers, and Duster.

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the history of Champaign and how I could be more involved with the people around me. I thought, of course, that music would be a perfect place to start.

Hum is one of my newest favorite bands, with members Brian, Matt, Tim, and Jeff. Known as a one-hit wonder, the band started in 1989 and later released their most popular song, sitting at 18 million streams on Spotify, named ‘Stars’. The song has such a crisp sound that makes it perfect for my preferences; the guitar riffs flow like waterfalls, and it genuinely leaves me star struck (pun intended), knowing that a group so talented grew up in the same town I did.

The lead singer of Hum, Matt Talbott, is still semi-active online. After reaching out, I got a brief chance to talk and learn more about the band.

I asked about the process of making music and collaboration.

“How did you guys come up with the unique sound and vibe you have?”

“We were democratic… If one guy didn’t like a part and the other three did, we reworked the idea until we’re happy with it.”

“What songs have you had to rework or change at all?”

“Well, most of our songs on DIH (Downward is Heavenward 1995 album) took so long to put out there and release… It’s mostly just love songs, so it’s up to anyone’s interpretation of what love is.”

I asked about band life and shows.

“We never took ourselves too seriously, but we took what we did seriously. I won’t lie to you; we had our fair share of drunken shows. We’ve played with other bands, but they’re just friends who are fun to play with.”

After talking with Matt, I’ve walked away with an even greater love for Hum and their music, and music in general. The reason I wrote this is because I wanted to feel inspired by people in the same community I come from, especially those with a similar interest in music. I want to inspire others to also look for their niche and find a community around it. You might just end up talking to a rock star like me.