USA TOUR PRESS
ovihorta@gmail.com
UK PRESS
Loudon Temple
info@bloodygreatpr.com
USA RADIO
Brad Paul
bradpaul56@gmail.com
617-413-7821
"Sunshiner clearly qualifies as the band’s best effort yet and one which should reestablish them as a preeminent group in terms of today’s populist precepts." Album review, Lee Zimmerman, May 18 2018
"Music has a practical role to play in helping us survive times such as these, whether by providing an escape route or a tool box for building a better way. Count Sunshiner among the latter." Album review by Kim Ruehl April 17, 2018
"Lovin’ the new album from The Mammals. The title track sounds to me like this is what happens when you blend a Mazzy Star vibe with two-part harmony, and sprinkle in some cosmic country dripping with pedal steel magic." - The Real Easy Ed, April 26, 2018
"The Mammals are better than ever." - Berkshire Eagle May 31, 2018
Chonogram Album Preview by Peter Aaron April 1, 2018
"A perfect confluence of folk and rock" - FolkWords April 8, 2018
VIDEO PREMIERE via BGS: Sunshiner. Mar 12 2018
NEW VIDEO: "When My Story Ends" "Ruth Ungar isn't afraid to dig deep into the soul and say out loud what most people choose to keep inside. This song gets me right from the opening line with the kind of words we all think about but don't much talk about. Ruthy sings with a gentleness and ease that invites you to sing along and maybe even say these things out loud yourself." - Caleb Klauder (Foghorn Stringband)
PODCASTS + INTERVIEWS
March 28, 2018 Listen to Ruthy's interview with Laura Viers on the MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING Podcast a series of conversations with musician mothers. (Other episodes include Roseanne Cash, Carol Kaye, Rhiannon Giddens and more!)
December 18, 2018 Mike + Ruthy talk to Dustbowl Revival’s Zach Lupetin’s SHOW ON THE ROAD podcast about their devoted activism, big-hearted protest songs, and how songs can still make a difference. (Other episodes include Mandolin Orange, Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn, Birds of Chicago, Tim O’Brien, and more!)
Interview and performance on New Hampshire Public Radio, April 2018.
"To celebrate what would've been Pete Seeger's 99th birthday, we we're joined in studio by Mike Merenda of The Mammals. Mike shares songs from his new album, and we reflect on Pete Seeger's life and work with various covers of songs he helped stitch into the American national memory."
"Mike + Ruthy came to the barn to play three new songs, and talk about life as an independent band touring the world and playing original music in 2018."
Press Quotes
“The Mammals don’t suffer from multiple genre syndrome, they celebrate it as if gleefully aware that the sound barriers separating old-timey music, vintage pop and contemporary folk are as permeable as cotton.” - Washington Post
"Sunshiner clearly qualifies as the band’s best effort yet and one which should reestablish them as a preeminent group in terms of today’s populist precepts." - Goldmine
“Sunshiner’ is one of the very best releases this year . . . totally uplifting and enough warmth to get you through the coldest season – such is it's touching staying power.” - Listening Through the Lens
"The Mammals are better than ever." - Berkshire Eagle
"A perfect confluence of folk and rock." - Folkwords, UK
"The Mammals, one of the most compelling young groups on the roots music scene in the 2000s, have returned with a stellar new album, “Sunshiner". . . a joyous salve for life’s vicissitudes, and a serious cause for celebration for roots music fans." - Rutland Herald
"'My Baby Drinks Water' is the best new folk song I've heard in years." - Unreal Bluegrass
"The Mammals' newest tune, 'Culture War,' gets right to the heart of the fight for the American soul." - No Depression
"Music has a practical role to play in helping us survive times such as these, whether by providing an escape route or a tool box for building a better way. Count Sunshiner among the latter. For context, the Mammals have populated these songs with the moon and the stars, the water, the birds, and a path into the unknown. There’s a floating leaf from a maple tree, an ode on solar power and geothermal energy (the title track, of course). There’s the abundance of children, family, and friendships, graceful confrontations with mortality, and even the very human (mammalian?) desire to be alone for just a moment . . . Indeed, the Mammals are all heart, and Sunshiner seems to be packed with ideas about how love will yet win over darkness and fear. If there’s a moral to this story, it’s nowhere better stated than in the final line of the final song on the disc. Singing in unison, with instrumentation so relaxed it’s like the world’s gentlest wake-up call, the line comes out of the fog: “May we never say goodbye to all our big ideas.” " Kim Ruehl, Folk Alley
“A string band at the core, The Mammals augment their sound with drums and electric guitar to create a collectively harmonized howl as thrilling and rocking as any band currently subverting folk traditions” - No Depression
"While rooted in acoustic music and lefty politics, these anti-war rants and personal reveries are updated with harmonic polish and smart, melodic twists that could equally appeal to a fan of Fleetwood Mac or Bonnie Raitt."
Philadelphia Daily News
"The Mammals aren't the first band to mix an indie-rock sensibility with bluegrass sounds, but they're gradually becoming one of the best." - No Depression
"Combining a modern pop sensibility with organic musical honesty, you hear everything from string sections to claw-hammer banjo. The band's ability to unite disparate forms to create fresh amalgamations makes them special among the young bands trying to create "World Music." Although the Mammals' style is musically inclusive, it still remains a personal and articulate edge." - Vintage Guitar
"The Mammals are the finest young bluegrass/old-timey band in the country, the country-branch house band for the new weird America. They perform total energy, off-kilter folk that more resembles the twisted quirk of the Holy Modal Rounders than the clean jeans or alter-ninnies currently clawhammering banjos. - Michael Simmons, LA Weekly
Quotes From peers and mentors
"Some of the best, most inspirational musicians I know just released this gem." - Lukas Graham on Culture War
"The Mammals inspired me beyond the boundaries of music." - - Lukas Graham
"Oh man... the groove on this song is totally undeniable . . . Love the way Ruthy shows her soul with a side of rainbows." - Sarah Lee Guthrie on Maple Leaf
"Who ever said changing the world couldn’t be done by an indie rock song? Mike's play on concepts of environmentally conscious energy sources put a smile on your face, but sink deep into the thought patterns of our minds and we wonder how we can too become sunshiners . . . " - Sarah Lee Guthrie on Sunshiner
"There is always magic when you can get Ruthy up close and personal. Uncontrollable heart bursts are likely... may cause increased amounts of joy... has been known to cause raining eyes and lumpy throat syndrome... call a doctor if you experience lack of seeing them live near you!" - Sarah Lee Guthrie on Beautiful One
"Record sounds great! I cry every time 'Hey, beautiful girl...' starts." - Ani DiFranco on Beautiful One
"Ruth Ungar isn't afraid to dig deep into the soul and say out loud what most people choose to keep inside. This song gets me right from the opening line with the kind of words we all think about but don't much talk about. Ruthy sings with a gentleness and ease that invites you to sing along and maybe even say these things out loud yourself." - Caleb Klauder on When My Story Ends
"Is there a category of music called psychedelic Bobby Charles?" - Marco Benevento on Big Ideas
“Dear Mike + Ruthy, Your Hoot was one of the best song gatherings I've seen in all my 94 years. I hope next year I can be there for more than one day.” - Pete Seeger