Merenda,
Ungar and
Tao Rodríguez-Seeger formed The Mammals in 2001. Initially a quartet with
Alicia Jo Rabins on the fiddle[2] they quickly shifted to a trio with Ungar as the sole fiddler. In 2004, they became a quintet adding drummer Ken Maiuri and bassist Pierce Woodward. Chris Merenda, brother to Mike, joined the band in 2004 replacing
Maiuri on the drums. Woodward left in 2005, replaced by Dango Rose and subsequently Jacob Silver on bass. In 2002 and 2005, they performed as part of
Arlo Guthrie's annual holiday concert at
Carnegie Hall. In 2005, a performance of their song
The Bush Boys caused The Mammals to be
censored at a Lafayette, LA festival venue. Between 2001 and 2007, The Mammals collaborated on stage with their peers
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion,
Crooked Still,
Foghorn Stringband,
Uncle Earl,
Nickel Creek, and
The Duhks; and with their mentors
Jay Ungar and
Molly Mason,
Arlo Guthrie,
Pete Seeger,
Mike Seeger,
Odetta, and
Utah Phillips. In 2008, The Mammals took a hiatus to pursue other musical endeavors. In 2017, the band re-emerged with the release of the video
On My Way Home (Feb 2017) and the single
Culture War (March 2017.) In October 2017, The Mammals began soliciting support from their fans on the crowdfunding platform
Patreon. In April 2018, they released the full album
Sunshiner recorded at the band's home studio Humble Abode Music with co-producer Adam Armstrong. The title track, a nod to alternative energy, was one of The Americana Music Association's "Top 100 Albums and Songs for 2018" and was nominated by the International Folk Music Awards for “2018 Song of the Year.” The album also featured the environmentally themed
a capella ballad My Baby Drinks Water. In December 2018, they announced the release of five new singles, donating 100% of download proceeds to specific causes relating to each song. == Performances ==