Austin born band Ume is a versatile threesome with grounded roots in Texas, but that doesn’t stop them from inspiring their music listeners all over the country. Lauren Larson, Eric Larson and Rachel Fuhrer’s live performances blow away new listeners expectations, stun reviewers and keep their fans crawling back for more.

The Red Ledger talked with the power trio about their new album Monuments, Suburbia Music Festival and the trio’s rise to power in the music industry.

The Red Ledger: How are you liking Suburbia and how was your set?

Lauren: “Oh it’s been awesome! We just had a fun, rocking set. It was a good crowd. We are a little sweaty and tired, but it was a good time.”

The Red Ledger: Where are you guys from and how has your hometown inspired your music?

Lauren: “We are from Austin, Texas, the proclaimed live capital of music in the world so it forces you to get a really good live show and work as hard as a band in such a collective and supportive musical community. We are just honored to be a part of the scene. We play a lot too in this area, in the Dallas area, so all of Texas has really embraced us. It’s awesome.”

The Red Ledger: Where do you get the influence for your style and how would you categorize your genre?

Lauren: “We’ve heard everything from rock, indie, art rock, psychedelic, metal, punk, but we just really play from the heart. We are the kinda band that holds nothing back and we try to put on an intense, powerful show.”

The Red Ledger: What is the reception that you hope to receive from the audience and the fans of your music?

Lauren: “We like to shatter expectations. The fans that have seen us, they come back. They’ve always really supported us, and it’s fun to see people smile, jaws drop and see people sing along. We are not a huge band yet, so a lot of people haven’t heard of us. It’s cool to see little inquisitive looks when we take the stage, but then see people start rocking out.”

The Red Ledger: Are you guys working on anything new we should know about?

Lauren: “We just had a new record come out almost two months ago called Monuments. We are just working really hard promoting that record right now and touring a ton.”

The Red Ledger: Eric, what’s it like being in a rock styled band headed by a female?

Eric: “I’m used to it. Lauren and I have played together since we were kids, so it’s just natural now. It’s an exciting thing to see though because I see younger ladies get inspired and excited by what Lauren and Rachel do. It’s a neat thing to be a part of. It’s a neat thing as a guy, to be a good example for other guys as they watch other bands to appreciate musicians for being just great musicians, and not say stupid stuff like “Oh pretty good for a girl,” It’s like no. They are just a great musician. That’s it.”

The Red Ledger: Rachel, how did the band form and how has it progressed into what it is today?

Rachel: “I’m the newest member actually, so these guys have been together for quite a long time, and the drummer that preceded me was the original drummer and those guys started in Houston. I played in another band, and we were invited to play Ume’s EP Release Party when they released the Sunshower EP. We had met those guys then. When they parted ways with Jeff [former drummer] we had met each other at the release party and gotten in touch that way.”

The Red Ledger: So Eric and Lauren, how long have you two been playing together and how did that spark your passion for music?

Lauren: “A long time. Since I was 16 years old. We’ve all been playing music since childhood.”

Eric: “Lauren and I used to go to punk shows at DIY spaces and things like that. We would see these bands and get pumped up so much that we would be like, ‘We want to do that! We want to give people that same experience when they see us play.’ That has always been our mantra. We just want to get up there and be that person inspiring someone else.”