Dear friends,

We are thrilled to reveal the pre-order details for our new album Mantis, which will be released on January 20, 2009. On Inauguration Day, when our country
turns a page in its history, we are writing a new chapter of our own.

Our approach to this studio project has been very different than with those preceding it. While you may find one or two vaguely familiar passages on the new album, for all intents and purposes, this is an album consisting entirely of new music. And while it retains the hallmark Umphrey's McGee sound, we feel as though we have produced a body of work that pushes the envelope in composition, arrangement, and group interplay. Because of this, we view this album as the centerpiece of a new era in the evolution of Umphrey's McGee. We are extremely proud of Mantis, and look forward to taking the material for a test run where we thrive--sharing the experience with you live and without a net. Since the songs were realized in the studio rather than on the road, expect them to get a serious workout in 2009 and beyond. We look forward to joining you on tour and watch how the songs change, evolve, and grow as we experiment, deconstruct, reconstruct, and discover the full potential of the new material in a live context.

Given that this new approach to recording found us pushing ourselves to innovate in a studio setting, we wanted to extend that innovation to push the traditional notion of an "album" and invite you to join in a unique pre-order experience.

Here is how it works. To start, pre-orders will go live through www.umphreys.com/mantis starting October 27th. Each preorder package will contain the following.

1. A copy of the CD Mantis, mailed directly from the Umphrey's McGee headquarters in Chicago. We believe that staying hands-on in the pre-order process will give us more control in delivering the album as close to street date (01.20.09) as possible.

2. But since we have limited control (read: none) over the postal service, even if your CD doesn't arrive exactly on January 20th, you will still get the new album that day because you also receive a copy of the full album in MP3 format which will be made available for digital download. On the morning of 01.20.09, an email will be sent to your address allowing you to download the MP3s of the new album from UMLive.net at no charge.

3. Bonus Material Part I: Here is where we aim to elevate from standard to extraordinary with the pre-order experience. We have set aside a wide variety of bonus tracks for pre-order customers--some of these tracks are outtakes, alternate, and early versions of songs from the new album. Other tracks were culled from the archives, including some oft-requested rarities such as tracks from the annual acoustic Holiday shows and tracks from historical "Taper Appreciation Nights." We will include 'fly on the wall' recordings from inside the control room of the studio as we wrote, discussed, edited, and finalized arrangements and sections of these songs. There will also be video snippets from album recording sessions and beyond, including unreleased live concert footage, and a whole host of miscellaneous goodies from soundchecks to solo projects to a high-resolution downloadable booklet complete with photos, lyrics, hand written notes, alternate song titles and more!

Bonus Material Part I available EXCLUSIVELY to those who pre-order.

Herein lies the core of our pre order concept--we are going to add more and more bonus content as the pre-order gains steam. The more pre-orders that are placed, the more bonus content will be added. Each time a new bonus level is reached, we will unlock another bundle of content for everyone. Of course, these bonus tracks are free to all who pre-order. The load of bonus material will be made available for digital download the week of album release. But of course we wouldn't want to make our fans wait months for everything, so the first bonus level will be available for download in early December.

Bonus material Part II: The album will allow purchasers to access an exclusive Micro-site. Using technology from Push Entertainment the CD allows those who purchase the album to get access. There is no strange software or copy protection on the CD and it will work on any Windows XP, Vista and Mac OSX machine. This will allow us to deliver even more bonus content throughout 2009--your Mantis CD will act as a "key" to open an area on the website where you will find even more content--live versions of songs from Mantis, more unreleased material, rehearsals and impromptu "bus jams" as we continue to tour throughout the year, and more! We have some interesting ideas we want to try and are committed to ensuring that your Mantis CD will provide you with a lot of great new music throughout the year.

You will receive all of this for the price of $19.99.

Plus everyone that pre-orders will also receive a FREE, lifetime digital subscription to Relix magazine. Plus, you will be entered to WIN a “RelixBand,” a guitar-string bracelet made from Jake and Brendan’s actual guitar strings used at an Umphrey’s show!

We believe this is the first time this type of pre-order campaign has been attempted, and we hope as many of you as possible will choose to participate. Remember, the more pre-orders we get, the more content we'll include. If you have friends who have been curious about our music, or on the fence about getting involved in the Umphrey's McGee experience, we hope we've created a compelling new project to pull them on board. We would appreciate your help, as no force in music business is stronger today than word of mouth.

For those who are looking for the ultimate Umphrey's McGee Mantis package, we will also release a Limited Edition Mantis Deluxe Package--only 500 will be manufactured.

The deluxe package includes: a copy of Mantis on CD, a copy of Mantis on 180g vinyl, a DVD that includes the Umphrey's McGee 10th Anniversary Retrospective and other unreleased videos, a Mantis poster, and some other treats from the Umphrey's HQ, all in a hand-signed Mantis box set. Not all package contents will be the same, and in each you will find some personal additions from the band members themselves. Ordering your deluxe package will give you access to all of the unlocked pre-order bonus content, and as with the standard pre-order package you will also receive the MP3 of the album on January 20th and access to the post-release PUSH content.

This Deluxe Limited Edition of Mantis is priced at $49.99.

If you have questions on the pre-order, bonus content, PUSH or the Deluxe Limited Edition, please visit the FAQ at www.umphreys.com/mantis/faq.html.

Mantis is an evolution for us as a band and your continued support has allowed the growth to happen. It gives us the opportunity to mature, change, and experiment as musicians and as a band. We are eternally grateful to have your support and are humbled by your relentless dedication and energy. Thank you for making us to do what we do possible.

Look for another UMPHdate soon with information on the premiere of the "single" from the new album, track listing, artwork, and more information on the contest and giveaways rolling out over the next few weeks. The pre-order site will be evolving and growing as we move closer to the album's release, so check back often as you never know what you might find.

Much Obliged,

Umphrey's McGee

P.S. When you visit the pre-order page, make sure to sign up to win the ultimate Mantis Prize package.