Forrest Maher, Brian Silver, and Matthew Woolman, all originally from Alpena, together with their longtime friends, Chicago drummer Jason Hollembeak and North Carolina tenor guitarist Todd Mayberry, released their Freelance Philosophers album called “Khumbu” after Maher traveled to Nepal with his wife, Laurie, and trekked to Mt. Everest basecamp.

“The people are what made it the most special,” Maher said. “Genuine, compassionate, selfless, positive, kind.”

Maher and his wife traveled to Nepal in October 2019, and, upon return, Maher began assembling notes from his trip into lyrics. The longtime friends shared their song ideas electronically.

“Before and after returning from Nepal, I had spoke with Silver about the trip, and we began sharing song ideas,” Maher said. “I would send him lyric ideas and he would send me instrumentals he would compose on keyboards and guitar and I would send him back a version including my vocals. We then sent the tracks to Woolman. It became a concept album quickly out of love and respect for the people and culture of the Khumbu Valley.”

Courtesy Photo The group Freelance Philosophers, made up of Alpena natives Forrest Maher, Brian Silver, and Matthew Woolman and Chicago’s Jason Hollembeak and North Carolina’s Todd Mayberry, pose in front of tapestries created for the group’s latest project, “Khumbu”.

Woolman was instrumental in recording and mixing their preproduction efforts, and the trio got together a couple times in his recording studio before recording and mixing the full length album with James Kananen at his Bad Racket Recording Studios in Cleveland, Ohio in August 2020.

They then mastered the album with Grammy-winning producer and mastering engineer Glenn Brown at his GBP Studios in East Lansing.

This is the fifth Freelance Philosophers album Brown has worked on with the group, and Brown also played sitar on two of the songs.

Alpena artist Erv Lewandowski, who is also Maher’s stepfather, also contributed to the album, creating a poster for the project. Grand Rapids artist Michael Pavona created a painting made into tapestries for the project.

“We ultimately discovered our friendship, our passion for music and love of the outdoors in Alpena, and, since graduating, have kept in touch for the past three decades, plus writing and recording music and making art together,” Maher said. “Freelance Philosophers is rooted in Alpena, with Matthew Schaffer, Michael Carnahan, and Joseph Bastow also assisting in production efforts. We were all raised in Alpena.

Courtesy Photo Alpena native Forrest Maher, left, and his wife, Laurie, are seen in Nepal in 2019 in this photo provided by Maher. The trip to the Mt. Eversest basecamp inspired the album “Khumbu,” from the group Freelance Philosophers, which Maher formed with fellow Alpena natives.

“We would love for people to check out our new Freelance Philosophers album ‘Khumbu,'” he added. “I hope more folks who reach for humility and compassion can hear the album. We hope it inspires you to keep on trekking.”

You can hear and or purchase the newest Freelance Philosophers album “Khumbu”, along with the rest of their 10-album catalog online on Amazon, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, and any other major streaming platform.

For more information you can contact info@freelancephilosophers.com.