How often do you see a father and daughter, or a professor and his students, in a punk rock band? Not very often.
The multi-generational group Bad Mary has emerged as one of the dynamic and creative punk rock bands in the New York City music scene today. Playing high-energy danceable punk music reminiscent of 70’s New York, the 4-person band is composed of Amanda Mac (lead singer), her dad Bill Mac (drums), university friend and Amanda’s husband Mike Staub (bass/vocalist), and professor David Henderson (guitar).
Bad Mary has created their own strain of punk that takes you back to New York in the 70’s but with a modern vibe. Counting as their influences the likes of Blondie and The Ramones, they play fast, loud songs with catchy hooks and fun attitude. In their Patreon page, they describe themselves as:
Bad Mary is like this little circus that happens where we basically say, ‘You know what? We don’t give a shit, we’re having a good time’. We want to push back on all the crap going on in the world because that’s not what’s important, that’s not where your life is – life is in the fun and the joy.
Their first album, Better Days, garnered three first-round ballot Grammy nominations, for Best Rock Performance (Ninja, Forget About It) and Best Rock Song (Ninja). Both ‘Forget About It’ and ‘Don’t Know Where the Line Is’ were played during the 2014 NBA finals at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC.
The band makes their home on Long Island, New York and have played classic venues such as Arlene’s Grocery, the Bowery Electric, the Trash Bar, and Revolution. They have scored airplay on U.S., U.K. and Australian radio and are currently writing songs for their next album.
We talked with Bad Mary about their music and their plans for this year and beyond:
How do you describe your music?
Our music is a fast and loud foray into punk rock theatrics. It’s sometimes a bit tongue in cheek, and it’s always fun.
What is your band’s sound?
We’ve been told that our sound is a refreshing modern echo of the 1970’s punk scene. We definitely draw a lot of influence from artists at that time, but we always look to add a modern musicality.
What inspired your band name?
Bad Mary became our band name after a long stint of us being a cover band called Madame X. We knew we would have to change the name once we started writing originals (there are a whole lot of things called Madame X. How would anyone ever find us?) Bad Mary was what stuck! It’s like someone flipped a light switch in David’s head – the name popped in – we all agreed – and it’s been a go ever since!
Who are your influences?
Our band members come from all different musical backgrounds and generations so a good overview would be: Ramones, Green Day, Paramore, The Police, Bikini Kill, and Blondie.
What’s next for Bad Mary?
We’re actually working on some new music right now for our next release (release date tbd) We also have a new Patreon Page up where our subscribers are actually going through the creative process in studio with us as we work on new material. It’s been very cool to chat with listeners and get feedback when the music is in such early stages.
What can fans expect next?
We live stream and chat with our fans at least once a week and are always active on our social media accounts, so say HELLO! We have some great new music coming your way – if you’d like to get in on it early, come hang out with us on Patreon www.patreon.com/BadMary!
We’d love to be able to travel more and play shows in person for our fans in other parts of the country and overseas. With the support we’ve gotten from our fans we have definitely been able to grow and we look forward to what the future will bring!
Check out the YouTube channel of Bad Mary and watch their videos. Visit the Bad Mary website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook!
