The Mammals are an indie-roots band from New York’s Hudson Valley led by singer-songwriters Ruth Ungar and Mike Merenda. Over two decades, this fiercely independent outfit has built a legacy of genre-defying, politically charged, and emotionally resonant folk-rock. Their music resonates with urgency and tenderness—amplifying the voices of conscience, connection, and the full spectrum of human experience.
Emerging in the early 2000s as “subversive acoustic traditionalists” (Boston Globe), The Mammals blend old-timey roots with lyrical fire and magnetic force. After a period of redefinition as Mike + Ruthy, the band reemerged in 2017 and have since continued to forge music that is as topical as it is timeless. Their 2025 double album, Touch Grass Vol. 1 & 2, marks the band’s most expansive offering to date. It is a lyrical wake-up call and a tender salve “Doing good doesn’t have to mean do more,” they sing—reminding us that kindness and community are forms of resistance.

"Some of the best songwriting of their generation."
LA Times
"A party band with a conscience."
Boston Globe