In 2016, buddy-couple Neil McRae & Warren Jenko started jamming in a vacant house. Their early jams were rustic and bare, consisting of Neil’s raw vocals and acoustic guitar paired with Warren’s focused and balanced drum attack. As a duo, they would plant the seeds of the sound of what would become Mad Mungus. Soon after, Dave Haley joined the group. A seasoned bass player, Dave brought his unique positivity and thick undertones to the musical recipe. As their sound continued to develop, they collaborated with Pat Wheeler at Blackdog Studios and recorded their early demos as a trio. Pat would soon join the band on electric guitar, bringing an air of energy, enthusiasm, and curiosity to Mad Mungus. Forged through the bond of being working-class parents still in the pursuit of artistic expression, the sound of Mad Mungus continues to grow from that early seed of a raw, focused and balanced attack. A solid bedrock upon which unique vocals elevate songs rooted in themes of overcoming adversity and moving from utter despair to a more utopian hereafter. The Mad Mungus experience, in sound and performance, is rooted in that hope, that seed that continues to grow.
Link to the latest music
https://lnk.to/WhoaLove
Where are you based?
St. Catharines, ON
How long have you been making music?
The full band has been together since 2018, but members of the band have been jamming together since the late 90’s
What genre would you consider your music to be?
Hmmm… folk-grunge-rock I guess…each song has its own flavour. Ever since we started playing, we have been aware of our ‘hard-to-define’ style of music.
What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
Not sure a paying career in music ever crossed my mind, I think the art in making the music with like-minded musicians has always been appealing. When we are all together in the moment playing, that is our inspiration to keep doing it.
What are your biggest musical influences?
PJ, Uncle Neil, 60’s rock music, and probably the 90’s in general. We are influenced by any music that we find appetizing. Wilco, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd. There really is so much music that has influenced us…
Are you signed to a label or are you an independent artist?
100% Indie baby!!
What have been the biggest challenges in your music career?
Maintaining momentum in being active. Even without the pandemic it’s difficult to stay productive. But with the shut-downs and restrictions, it’s been really challenging to just find the time to get the crew together to bang out a good ol’fashioned party jam!
How many songs or albums have you released to date?
We have just released our first single and should have our EP out by years end.
Can you tell us a few things about your latest release?
Critics have called our debut single Whoa Love “Mellow yet Powerful”. It’s a easy-listening love song that manages to be hot and cold at the same time. This track is really fun to play live, we threw a few elements into the song live you don’t get on the recorded version.
Any plans for new music or upcoming projects we should know about?
Our second single Someday should be out in about 6 weeks. We have been in the studio running through some new ideas and should be in a position to record some new material by the end of summer.
