LISTEN: Umlaut Share “Every Time”

The Australia-based project features former Mr. Bungle members Bär McKinnon and Danny Heifetz

June 6, 2023June 6, 2023 Ron Hart 0 Comments Angus Leslie, Bär McKinnon, Clinton "Bär" McKinnon, Danny Heifetz, Every Time, Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Shane Lieber, Umlaut

It’s such awesome news that Mr. Bungle is recording and touring again, especially with Scott Ian of Anthrax and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo in the mix.

However, serious Bungle fans have certainly wondered why two key original members of the band–mult-instrumentalist Clinton “Bär” McKinnon and drummer Danny Heifetz–were not participating in the reunion themselves.

That’s because those guys have their own group going on based out of Australia called Umlaut, which took root shortly after McKinnon moved to the land Down Under in the early 2000s. The current lineup of Umlaut includes long time bassist Shane Lieber (An Easier Question) and musical wunderkind Angus Leslie (Sex on Toast) as well as the aforementioned legendary drummer Danny Heifetz (Mr.Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3).

McKinnon played a key role in the pop-oriented direction Mr. Bungle took on their third album, 1999’s California. And fans of that record will no doubt gravitate towards the sound Umlaut has created on its latest single “Every Time,” a sonic extension of California’s summertime feel with a nod towards the genius of Phil Lynott.

“‘Every Time’ came out of a moment when I was struggling through the deadlines and pressure-cooker of making music for an Australian TV series,” McKinnon explains. “It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. I’d needed some kind of diversion or break and the simple, repeating figure with the ascending bass line came to me and saved my sanity in that moment. It was a musical palette cleanser. Later, we worked it up with the band and Danny’s groove really brought it to life. Shane (bass) added a section which perfectly complemented the main chorus. As for the summertime 70s hard rock vibe, it would seem that it is an echo from what I soaked up as a little kid in the 70s and 80s.”

No word on a new full-length from Umlaut just yet, but according to Bär, another single is already on deck.

“The next single is an epic anthem inspired in part by ‘Purple Rain’ by Prince called ‘Désolé,'” he promises. “It was written shortly after his untimely death.”

Listen to “Every Time” below.