New York-based edgy glam-punk band Bad Mary return with the release of their latest live song and video, “Vibe-Icide.” The song is a high-energy preview of their upcoming live album, Live on Long Island, out July 15. We sat down with Bad Mary’s bassist Mike Staub to chat about the record. This year has taken good care of the tight-knit band so far.
“The year has been great! We kicked it off with our first ever vinyl release, The Mega Bad Disaster Party, on SPI Records, recorded a live album, started a new podcast, and have released a few live singles. We had some great shows this year and have a few more coming up!”
As musicians contemplate where to begin with writing an album, so many ideas can come to play. “We were looking to record a live album. We wanted to record a ‘greatest hits’ kind of show where we were playing crowd favorites from the past 10 years. Luckily, all the writing was done already! But 10-plus years of playing many of these songs live have given them a new life and different version. We like to say the truest versions of these songs.”
Staub also mentioned the podcast the band created, Are You With the Band?. “We’re totally DIY, so the show was built to show all the things we’ve gotten wrong and how we’ve learned from them, but also the stuff we’ve gotten right too. It’s a conversation, and it’s been fun to do.”
What feeds the energy in the room for Bad Mary are their loyal fans. “The crowd energy always helps us. If the crowd is loud and raucous, we feed on that. We want to go out and have fun with everyone, so if you’re in, we’re in. We may drink a little caffeine before a show too … HAH!”
“Vibe-Icide” is a song that the band are quite fond of, as it keeps the music on their signature punk rock focus. Staub says, “Don’t give me bad vibes; I’ll kill my own, thanks.” They recognize the bad vibes out there and refuse to fall into the negativity. “It’s this song about killing your own vibe because of the notion that even when things are going well— At some point everything’s going to come crashing down. I think it’s a bit of a millennial viewpoint—the chaos of everything—Even on a good day, I’ll remember something crappy I did 15 years ago, and it’ll ruin the moment. The best way to deal with this type of thing, in our opinion, is through song. We love playing it live, and it’s been an important part of our live sets since we released Trash & Glamour back in 2023.”
So many amazing artists out there dig through the trenches and delve deep in the grind without a blink of an eye. This band has a driving force with the combination of their comradery, integrity, and family-orientated punk rock mentality. “Since we’re DIY completely, we don’t have the aid of a label or booking agent to help us book touring shows. We must do it all on our own. As of right now, we have two shows in July that are fairly local. After that, it’s a question mark! But we hope we’ll be able to figure something out for the fall and early 2026. We’d love to hit the road again. Be sure to stay up on all Bad Mary stuff by listening to Sirius XM – Channel 21 and checking out our socials @badmaryband on all of them.”
For bands like Bad Mary, they have that old-school mentality and wisdom for those out there wanting to have music in their lives, playing on stages and writing from their hearts. Staub tells them, “Find their sound. Keep playing. Keep writing. Keep performing. The only way to find your voice and sound is to do it—all the time—with love and passion.”
Their music is powerful with an unapologetic punk rock vibe, something we all need at this crazy time. Bad Mary’s live album, Live on Long Island, is being released on July 15. Its engaging performance is astounding with their loyal fans in the background screaming the lyrics creating a real life ambiance. Bad Mary unleashes hard-hitting guitar riffs, amazing drums, and Amanda’s badass talented stage presence. This band are unforgettable and tough as nails. Bad Mary are alive and fiery with true-to-the-bone punk rock vibes.
