ONE ON ONE…BAD MARY

with David Kasheta, July, 2024

Thanks for joining us today and taking the time out of your busy schedule to give us a glimpse into the band. I love the energy and melody of your material. How did you hit upon the band name and how does it represent the dynamics of your music?

When we came up with a Band Name it took some time. We were previously in a cover band called Madame X, but when we wanted to start writing originals, we knew we needed a name change due to that name already being used in a lot of places. We wanted something that represented our attitude, our music, and something punchy and punky. We also wanted it to be easily understandable! So David threw out Bad Mary in our group chat, and we were all about it.

How would you best describe your music?

Fast, Loud, Fun. That’s what we always say. It’s punky, punch, bratty, and sarcastic. We use music as a form of escapism and we want our best to have fun with it. Definitely influenced by the LES punk rock of the 1970s, but also some old school rock & roll and a touch of glam.

I love your influences, including the CBGB era punk bands. They became a raw, unfiltered, beacon of sonic energy whose DNA continues to thrive, including within your band. Who were your favorite bands from that period not named The Ramones?

Blondie, for sure. The New York Dolls, Talking Heads, Television. Then over from the UK Sex Pistols, Stiff Little Fingers, the Damned. But also bands like X and The Misfits too.

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The band has an amazing connection to Hofstra University. What drew you to that college?

Amanda, Bill, and Mike were students there. Mike and Amanda met as students in college. They’re Long Island kids who stayed local for school and connected via music and such. David was Amanda’s professor in college and Bill was both a student and worked for the University. Amanda’s first semester of college was actually Bill’s last semester! So it’s always been a very important and special place for us. We’re so grateful to continue to work with the school on a semi-regular basis.

It’s a tight knit group, with an amazing personal connection between the members. How has that tight interpersonal fabric influenced the band’s creativity?

When you’re a family, there’s this connection that is kinda unspoken. It allows us to feel insanely comfortable but also honest. Also when you’re multi-generational your influences can be all over the place, but in our case it’s a strength. Rock and Roll’s been around a while now and having 60+ years of experience with the genre allows us to pull from many places. The interpersonal relationships also feel knit together blending 50s/60s rock with 70s/80s punk and New Wave with 90s Alt and 00s pop punk.

You have a show on Twitch TV (link below)) each Tuesday at 8:15 pm (EST), further connecting the band to its fans.  Tell us about the development of the show and why it’s been such an amazing way to communicate. I love the way you’ve taken this approach to connect with the fans, like myself.

We got into streaming live to the internet in 2018/2019. Originally just with a phone and streaming directly to facebook. As we looked more into Twitch, we became very interested in how it works. As we worked through the pandemic to make Twitch the place to be, we fully went all-twitch in 2021. We love it. It allows us to connect with people from all over the world and make friends globally. It’s not uncommon to have people tuning in from the US, UK, Australia, Japan, and South America all at the same time. It’s amazing.

What are the plans for Bad Mary for the next 6 months?

Play lots of shows! We also will be releasing our new EP JUST dropped and we’re taking that on the road with us. It’s 6 songs from our first album, Better Days, re-recorded and re-released after 10+ years of playing the songs live. After that? probably starting to write new music again.

You’re known for your dynamic stage performances. You’ve played some amazing venues including The Knitting Factory and The Bowery Electric. You’ve also toured Japan in 2019. What goes through your mind as you perform and look out into the crowd?

We toured Japan in 2023 too! As for what goes through our mind? We just want the crowd to be in on it. We want them to have as much fun as we’re having on stage in the audience. We want to sing and dance and rock out with them! So what goes through our mind is delivering the most energetic and fun show we can, and making sure they’re also having fun too.

How amazing was Japan?

It’s hard to put it into words. Japan is a place that we have had a connection to. Mike and Amanda honeymooned there and had previously traveled there on vacation. Mike studied abroad in Japan in college and is into a lot of Japanese entertainment. We figured that we may do well over there so when we planned a tour we were so very excited. The bands, the clubs, and the fans in Japan were unbelievable. It was easily the best experience of our lives, and we got to do it twice! Here’s to hoping we can do it a third time (or more).

On our radio shows, we’ve played some amazing Japanese bands, including The Voodoo Club and Shonen Knife. Were there any bands from that tour that you played with that impressed you?

The bands you named are amazing. As is a band called Otoboke Beaver from Kyoto. We never played with them, but they’re making a huge splash right now. As for the bands we played with in Japan? Riot Missile, Sneakin’ Nuts, Catch Me Yesterday, The Pink 99 to name a few.

First moment where you thought that people dug what you had to play and say?

We played a local show about 9-10 years back, and the club was packed. When we broke into song, Space Girl, it was the first time I could hear the audience singing the words back. It was amazing.

When did you first discover your voice?

When I was very little my favorite movie was, The Little Mermaid. My dad tells a story that I was sitting in our kiddie pool pretending to be Ariel singing her “Ahh Ahh Ahhs”. My aunt, who was a classically trained oboist heard it and told my dad that I was “on pitch” and that he needed to foster that. So I started singing!

First album, cassette, or CD purchased? Where? When?

I don’t quite remember off the top of my head, but Dizzy Up The Girl by the Goo Goo Dolls was one of the first I remember. That and/or a Boy Named Goo.

Dream band to open for?

We’ve been pretty fortunate to open up for some bands we really look up to. The Dollyrots for one, a band we’ve opened for twice now and both times were amazing. But we’d love to open for bands like Green Day, The Interrupters, Rancid, Bad Religion, Blondie, The Damned…

New or recent bands you’re most excited about?

Otoboke Beaver, for one. But also our local scene and the non-local friends we’ve made over the years. The Knottie Boys, Mega Infinity, Hans Gruber and the Die Hards, Samurai Pizza Cats.

Best stereo system you’ve ever had?

My dad always had an incredible sound system. I couldn’t name it, but the one we had in our living room growing up.

First concert attended? (who, when, who)

I saw N*Sync on the “No Strings Attached” Tour in like 2000. I was 12!

Most unforgettable concert attended?

Probably Gwar….we saw Gwar a few months before Dave Brockie passed away. It was freezing in NYC, just after Christmas, and it’s pretty hard to forget.

Top 5 albums?

Amanda: Dizzy Up The Girl (Goo Goo Dolls), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask), Baby Darling Dollface Honey (Band of Skulls), Dead Man’s Party (Oingo Boingo), Tenacious D (Tenacious D)

Mike: Insomniac (Green Day), …and Out Come The Wolves (Rancid), London Calling (The Clash), Killers (Iron Maiden), the Final Fantasy VII OST (Nobuo Uematsu)

David: If You Want Blood You’ve Got It (AC/DC), Eat To the Beat ( Blondie), The Fine Art of Surfacing (The Boomtown Rats), Queen II (Queen), Fantastic (Wham!)

Bill: The Very Best of Cream (Cream), Young Rascals (The Young Rascals), Vanilla Fudge (Vanilla Fudge), Meet The Beatles (The Beatles), Chicago II (Chicago)

Appreciate you taking the time for your listeners. We’re real excited about the future for the band and stoked for your string of success. Love the creativity and hope to see you on stage soon! How can listeners convey their appreciation to the band?

Follow us on all the socials: @badmaryband on all socials

Where can listeners grab your music? 

Anywhere you can stream music! And on Bandcamp too!

Thanks for taking the time and congrats on such an incredible body of creativity. Love the energy!