'Putting The Huma Back Into Music'

Huma is sure to cool down the hottest days of the summer like a tingling breeze at sundown, bound to the sounds of a nightfall chirping crush. With sweet melodies that make you want to hug your worst enemy, and pop numbers that leave you whistling tunes on trains, Huma is a triptych of country landscapes linked by fuzzy electrical lines and soggy patches of green grass.

Originally formed as a means of defeating the northern Jersey duldrum known as suburbia, fraternally linked Brian & Laura joined with Jess to harmoniously create organic electronic music with whatever odd toys & instruments they could find (i.e. clarinets, melodicas, trumpets, toy organs). Together, they have sprouted through Jersey housing developments and between telephone lines to bring you the kaleidoscope of electro pop and moody, dreamy folk that is "We Are Here For You”, their debut CD on Cult-Hero records.

Chatting recently with Brian with help from Jess and Laura, I first noted that as the weather here in MI was over 100 degrees, and that their press states that they are "sure to cool down the hottest days of the summer," I first wondered just how they could do that for me today?! "The only way to cool you down today would be to make our super special green tea/mango sorbet for you, it is pretty darn chillin'!"

Your album title 'We Are Here For You' is very polite and to the point, but I'm wondering if it originates from a more personal standpoint? "I guess there are two reasons we chose this for a title. One is for the symbiotic relationship that is created between an artist and those that you present your works to, and the other being more personal that a lot of the themes on the album are about moving on from the past and coming to terms with the future, and the three of us have gotten through all that with such great friends and family. Basically, we are here to return the favor."

If there was one track on this new album that truly encapsulated Huma at their musical and lyrical finest, which one would it be? "Haha.. One track that we all think truly captures Huma.. I don't think we could all agree on that one. We all have our favorites and our not quite so favorites and different things we enjoy about every song. Each song on the album represents a different influence and they come from different places and different styles, so it makes it really hard to pick that defining track. Can we just cop out and say each one has it's own merits?"

And whilst we're revealing things, just where did that band name originate ... and what else could you so easily have been called? "Well.. the name came from a book that Brian really enjoyed as a kid, and if you were/are into the Dungeons & Dragons scene, you might be familiar with the book. Jess and Laura don't like to talk about it, as it is kind of embarrassing for them. Haha. But that was the only name we ever had. As for names that could have been Aerosmith and Poison were already taken!"

What's with the cat masks in some of your publicity shots? "Sometimes it is embarrassing to admit to being a human, especially when things are being run by some people that are so crazy!"

Do you have a funny, possibly embarrassingly story you can tell us that may have happened to you on this road to stardom?! "Well when we first started, no one ever pronounced our name right, so we had to start a "Huma sounds like puma" campaign that finally got people to stop calling us hummus!"

If it hadn't have been for Jersey housing and telephone lines would this kaleidoscope of electro pop wonderment have even been born?! "We probably would have wound up as a freak-folk band!"

What '80s (and possibly cheesy!) song would you love to cover today if asked ... and why?! "Well.. it is not what we would cover, but what we have covered! We used to and probably should bring back our cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer." It was so much fun to cover because everyone would always be dancing and singing along. One time someone was dancing so crazy to it during one of our shows that they accidentally stomped the power cords out of the wall and everything went dark and silent. So then we just had to play the cover again!"

Finally, I love Penguins ... do you? "Yes we love penguins! We spent an entire afternoon in Montreal Biodome watching the little guys run around and swim. Such cuties!"

Thanx again for doing this for us today, and we wish you all the best for the future "Thank you!!!'

Interviewed by Russell A. Trunk

If you would like to win an AUTOGRAPHED copy of Huma's new CD, just answer this easy question: What city do Huma originate from?!

Send me your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these great new and AUTOGRAPHED CDs! Just send us an e:mail here before October 15th with your answer and the subject title 'CONTEST: HUMA SIGNED CDs' to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net