Mary In The Junkyard tonight – recorded live at The Great Wide Open festival in Vlieland on August 31, 2024 and broadcast by VPRO-3VOOR12.
As we get further and further away from that hideous period known as “lockdown” during those two years of COVID, hearing bands who got started during that time are something of a miracle. During that period bands were breaking up or splintering in a million different directions or getting out of performing music live altogether.
It was a rare occurrence, to hear about a band that actually formed during that period – rarer still that they managed to record, perform (in a somewhat bizarre isolation setup that seems extreme in retrospect) and start getting word-of-mouth.
But Mary In The Junkyard weren’t your average band. They weren’t going to let a little thing like isolation deter them from smoothing out the rough edges and getting enough original material together so that when the dark period eventually lifted, they were ready with a debut ep.
In 2024 they released their debut ep, This Old House quickly followed by a debut single, Marble Arch.
The press has been good – the audience is enthusiastic – they are opening for some noteworthy bands (Wet Leg among them) and are braced for what looks like a vey promising career.
This performance, by way of the Great Wide Open festival is something of a “get acquainted” set – it wouldn’t be until 2025 that they started opening for other acts and gaining word-of-mouth and press, along with radio appearances – so you could consider this session a debut. Like every musician who weathered the COVID storm, they have hit the ground running, not wasting any time.
Press play and crank it up – visit their website and support them however you can. They’ve been through a lot – the least we can do is give the proverbial “thumbs up” by grabbing an album, an ep and/or some swag. They can use the bread and you can use some warm and fuzzies.
