Artist Spotlight is a segment that we started to introduce our listeners to some deserving up and coming artists/ bands. They have made an impact on us for all of the right reasons. We think they kick ass and we hope you do too! Today, we’d like to shine the spotlight on Bad Mary!
There’s Something About Mary, Bad Mary
At its best rock ‘n’ roll should cause a physical response. Hips sway, feet tap, heads nods, and hearts race. On stage and on tape Bad Mary provokes a primal reaction, packing a potent punch with their unbridled energy. This New York based band is not your typical line-up, the band features powerhouse lead vocalist Amanda Mac, with her husband Mike Staub on bass, her dad Bill Macon drums, and her professor David Henderson on guitar. With their multi-generational dynamic, the band weaves rhythmic power and brain worm riffs as if it were 1979 all over again while interjecting their own fresh vibe. Amanda explains how this lineup came together, “The four of us were brought together by Hofstra University. My Dad Bill and I were always family, but we weren’t always in a band. Mike, David, and I were in a band, but we weren’t always family. Ten years, a wedding, writing, recording and releasing music, shows in the US and international touring, and we`ve become a band family and a family band!”
Drawing on influences from the likes of Blondie, The Ramones, Green Day, and The Dollyrots, this tight-knit unit uses humor and the power of music to pushback on all the crap going on in the world. Bad Mary holds up a warped mirror to the current culture and reminds us that having fun is the best way to give yourself an escape from the craziness. Everybody in the band has a distinct skill set, and brings their individual talents, as they push and inspire each other. “Everything is very collaborative, regardless of who brings a song to the table, we all put our unique spin on our parts to make the song the best it can be. When you’re in a band with family and a Professor you’ve worked closely with, you have a natural feel of how each person works and how to bring out the best in them. This is most evident when we write together, “says Amanda.
Choosing the DIY path, Bad Mary released their first album, Better Days in 2013 and followed it up with three fast and loud EPs, Killing Dinosaurs (2016), We Could Have Saved the World (2016), and Glitter Bomb (2017). In 2019 Bad Mary released their latest album, The Return of Space Girl, a 33-minute punk rock space opera, followed by an award-winning animated movie of the album. “We love the DIY route. It allows us to better connect with our fans because we can genuinely be ourselves on and off stage and bring our wacky personalities with us. We have learned a lot through trial and error, and we are so grateful for the success we have had. Also, it’s amazing to be the driving force of our own destiny,” Amanda explains.
Bad Mary has played classic venues such as The Highline Ballroom, The Knitting Factory, Arlene’s Grocery, and The Bowery Electric. They have also taken part in The Vans Warped Tour, The Dewey Beach Music Conference,
Launch Music Conference, and Musikfest. In 2019 they toured Japan and played to packed venues with a motley gang of local punk bands. “Performing live is our lifeblood. Like everybody else, due to Covid-19, we’ve been limited over the past couple of years, but we used that time to embrace other ways to connect with listeners and we are so grateful for our twitch and online streaming audience. We’ve made so many great fans through social media we can’t wait to hit the road to finally meet them in person. We like to say: we don’t go on a family vacation; we go on tour! We hope to get back to Japan in 2022, as well as all over the US,” Amanda says.
Diving into 2022 Bad Mary is set to bring their distinctive fun-filled sound to the masses with the March release of Bad Mary Presents: Rock and Roll Classics: Vol.6, featuring the bands unique take on songs from Jefferson Airplane, Blondie, The Human League and more. They plan to follow up the new EP release with a second EP of Rock and Roll classics, and original single song releases culminating in a new EP release later this year. They can be heard regularly on Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM, and you can catch their weekly live stream on Facebook, YouTube, Patreon, and Twitch. Bad Mary alternates between punk battle cries, and racy Rock n’ Roll fusion, always guaranteed to be FAST, LOUD, and FUN!
We sat down with the members of Bad Mary for a fun and quite entertaining Q&A session.
All superheroes and villains have an origin, and a band is no different, but usually minus the secret government experiments and radioactive spiders. What’s the origin of Bad Mary?
Amanda and Mike were students at Hofstra University in NY where David is a professor in the Drama Department. David teaches theater production and Amanda was one of his students. Mike was a music major who hung around with theater kids because they were more fun. David runs a band at Hofstra that plays all the drama department parties with a revolving lineup based on who is at the school at the time. It’s actually got QUITE the legacy now! One of the iterations of this band, David and the Hendersons, featured Amanda, Mike, and David. After their first show together in late 2009, Mike suggested we expand beyond just playing Hofstra parties. We came up with a name for this cover band, Madame X, based on a painting David liked and started playing shows locally. Some of the covers we played back in those days are still in Bad Mary sets (some are even on our upcoming EP!). Our drummer for Madame X, at the time moved to Florida to pursue a career and Amanda had the amazing idea of inviting Bill, her dad, to join Madame X. Bill had been playing drums since he was 4 years old and jumped at the opportunity to be in a Rock & Roll band with his daughter! Bill immediately hopped in and brought such talent and creativity to the band, changing everything for the best. It was around 2011 when Mike suggested to David that we start writing original music, to which David agreed, warning Mike that once that door is opened, it will be impossible to close.
Because Madame X was a painting, a Movie, a Bar, and about ten bands, we decided that for this new leg of our journey, we’d have to change our name. So, Amanda, Bill, David, and Mike morphed Madame X into Bad Mary in 2012 and began focusing on writing original music.
What’s in a band’s name? It can be a cool story or sometimes just a random name picked. What about Bad Mary?
So, we have this Facebook Messenger chat that’s like 13 years old at this point. When we made the change to start creating original music, we knew we needed a new name. Coming up with a band name is impossible. Mostly every word is taken, and you need it to fit your vibe. It was so terrifying to suggest a band name to the chat as most were immediately shot down. David was doing some soul searching to find a name and it had to fit certain qualifiers to work: It had to fun, had to represent who we are as a band, and easy to spell!
One morning, a Monday, David messaged the band at like 6:30AM. Mike was awake (as he usually is) and saw this. “Bad Mary.” Mike turned to Amanda and said, “I like it, I think this is it.” The fully asleep Amanda rolled over and was instantly agitated, because it’s 6:30 in the Morning and you’re supposed to LET PEOPLE SLEEP! After a few hours we let the name sink in and we all agreed, Bad Mary is the way to go. David, immediately started to draft up logos and created the Bad Mary image in what felt like no-time at all. And here we are 10 years, an international tour, and six records later.
All four members of the band have diverse talents, from singing to musicianship, to songwriting and producing, and video creation. That being said, what are the most useless talents you have?
Amanda: I can walk through my arms. I put my arms out and step through them and then contort myself to get them back where they need to be. It’s like playing jump rope with my arms.
David: Without Notes, I can give you an accurate lecture on the History of Pants, from the 16th Century to Today.
Bill: I can blow really good smoke rings. (If you tune into our live streams, you may see Bill breathing some fire in the back, like a dragon)
Mike: I have a funny thing with time. I can remember almost ANYTHING as long as I can tie it to a video game or album release date. I can tell you what year something happened based on what I was listening to or playing at the time. It works especially well for the 1990s.
If your music were a cocktail what would be in it?
The Bad Mary? Something spicy, sweet, and energetic! We’re thinking like cinnamon (like red hots), Coke (have you HAD the Cinnamon Coke? It’s amazing) and keeping it simple with Whiskey. Maybe a bunch of cherries too, just for good measure.
You have a covered a very diverse mix of songs, both within your live set and recorded. One of which is “You’re Standing On My Neck,” the theme to MTV’s aminated classic Daria. So, what cartoon character is your spirit animal and why?
Amanda: A combination of Vanellope Von Schweetz (Wreck It Ralph), Ms. Frizzle from The Magic Schoolbus, and Velma Dinkley. Oh, and Louise Belcher. I’m very passionate about the things I love and will get excited about every little detail, like Velma and Ms. Frizzle. Also, I’m a big fan of a good pair of glasses! As for Vanellope? I love candy and can be fiercely competitive. And like Louise, I often have the urge to burn everything to the ground.
David: Woodstock. His hair is a mess and he’s generally exasperated.
Mike: Spider-Man, minus the genius. I’ve got bad jokes, terrible luck, and some wise-ass response to pretty much everything. I also have this crippling need to be responsible in like every situation.
Bill: A mixture of Bugs Bunny and Animal from the Muppets. A stinker who loves bashing the drums.
For EVERYTHING Bad Mary: https://linktr.ee/badmaryband
