Here Come the Mummies: Recording the 'Road Trip' EP Live in One Room, Vintage Gear, and Life on the Road
The linen-wrapped funk collective talks recording 'Road Trip' live in one room, chasing vintage warmth, life on the road, mysterious origins and why a Crybaby pedal would've changed everything 5000 years ago.
Few bands balance mystery, musicianship, and pure groove quite like Here Come the Mummies. Known for their linen-wrapped personas and razor-tight live performances, the band has built a reputation that stretches far beyond the spectacle; one rooted in precision, chemistry, and an unshakable sense of rhythm.
With their latest EP Road Trip, they lean fully into motion: a collection shaped by long drives, shared moments, and a musical chemistry that can't be faked. Recorded live in a single room and driven by a clear love for vintage tone, the EP captures a band that knows exactly who they are and how to make it hit.
We caught up with the Mummies to talk about writing songs that start with a title like “DTF,” recording together in real time, the gear behind their sound, and why, even after thousands of years, the road still holds its magic.
Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: "Road Trip" feels like a celebration of motion, literal and musical. When you were shaping this EP, did you approach it as a cohesive journey from track to track, or did the songs evolve independently before forming the final route?
The songs mostly developed independently, but we did find that we had a bunch of songs that went together and fit with the whole road trip theme, which seemed perfect at the time because we just did a record called House Party. We thought it would be time to take it out on the road.
Musicngear: "DTF" leans into ambiguity with a wink. How much of your songwriting starts with groove first versus a phrase or concept that sparks the whole thing?
I’d say it’s about half and half, but DTF definitely started with the title. But to be clear, the song is about downtown funk and only downtown funk. If you’re having dirty thoughts because of our song, then shame on you.
Musicngear: You've built a reputation as one of the tightest live bands around. When recording Road Trip, did you track mostly live to capture that chemistry, or was the studio process more layered and surgical?
We recorded the road trip EP 100% Live, all in one room. We did have to redo the vocals because the drums were leaking into the mics. We have added some extra drums on DTF and some gang vocals too. We’re not set on any one way to record; we love to experiment.
MusicFestNews Matt Hillman
Musicngear: Musicngear readers are musicians themselves, so we have to ask: what core instruments and gear shaped the sound of Road Trip?
We tend to stay with the vintage gear and the vintage Tone.
I think the drums are a 1966 champagne sparkle kit that we used on the recording. Live, we use a 1970s Vista light kit. It’s been hanging in there for about 15 years now.
On the recording, we usually record all the guitars through a black face deluxe. Live, we’ve been using a Kemper profiler.
Keys is a big combo of everything, but since we did this in one room, we mainly use a Nord. The talk box is a home-built thingy that probably would rattle your fillings loose.
I can’t really talk about what kind of horns were used; I'm afraid to ask. The horn section would start talking about mouthpieces, ligatures, alloys and there would be a green cloud of chit chat hovering of Lake Michigan, causing odd weather patterns for the next decade.
I’ve heard rumors that we were all part of the Illuminati and that Justin Timberlake was in the band. But I’m not authorized to confirm or deny any of those rumors because Keanu said I can’t.
Musicngear: Your sound is tight, punchy, and rhythm-forward. When dialing in tones, especially horns and rhythm section, are you chasing vintage warmth, modern clarity, or something else entirely?
We’re definitely going for vintage warmth as much as we possibly can. We wish we were still living in the glory days of vinyl, especially on this EP. These recordings were done through a 1978 Trident 80 series console.
Our Studer 24-track stopped working right before we started the project, so we had to go digital, but having a good front end like that console can really get you pretty far.
The horns were recorded using various vintage mics: a few Neumann large diaphragm mics and one big luscious ribbon mic to capture the section as a group.
Denver AXS Allen Jiminez
Musicngear: "Nomadic Life" talks about living in the Now and rolling into the next town. After all these years on the road, what still makes touring exciting for you? Has that relationship with travel changed over time?
I have to admit I get tired quicker these days, but the magic of touring hasn’t worn off yet. The biggest factor is the other guys in the band. There are moments every night where we just gel, and it feels great. I think the audience feels it too.
Musicngear: There are many theories about your origins: cursed by a Pharaoh, reincarnated studio legends, time-traveling funk emissaries. Is maintaining the mystery still important to you, or has it taken on a life of its own?
It’s definitely taken on a life of its own. I’ve heard rumors that we were all part of the Illuminati and that Justin Timberlake was in the band. But I’m not authorized to confirm or deny any of those rumors because Keanu said I can’t.
Musicngear: Be honest, after 5000 years underground, what was the hardest instrument to relearn when you resurfaced? And has modern technology made funk easier...or more "dangerous"?
The horn players are always going on and on about how hard their instruments are. I’m not sure if funk is hard or easy to tell you the truth, but you couldn’t rock back and forth on a crybaby 5000 years ago. So funk has definitely gotten more fun because of technology.
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About Eugenia Roditis
Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.
Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com
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