We give a lot of play to the Mammals here at Chronogram. But it’s warranted: Besides making great music, the Woodstock-area-based folk rockers always seem to be doing great—and necessary—things, both directly and symbolically. Faced with these dark times, the band has risen to the occasion not only by lyrically commenting on the issues of the day, but by performing numerous benefit concerts and donating funds from their music sales to benefit key causes. Relating to the latter, the group has released the download-only track “Poison” to benefit the 0+ organization’s efforts to help deal with the opioid crisis that has hit the Hudson Valley and other regions so hard recently.
“‘Poison’ encompasses my plea, my prayer as a parent, as a caring person” says Mammals singer and violinist Ruth Ungar. “I hope to ignite and fuel a tiny helpful light in this otherwise dark epidemic.” A bonus cut from Sunshiner, the band’s most recent album, the song features guests Aoife O’Donovan, Rhett Miller, Connor Kennedy, and Josh Smith, and is being offered to assist in “O+s public health initiatives like Narcan trainings (which are offered at our festivals), and the Educate & Activate program, a series of forums that bring together health providers, non-profit organizations, local government leaders, educators and activists to discuss national health issues, their impact on local communities, and to convene community task forces to address them.”
Take a listen:
“Poison” is available for download at the Mammals’ Bandcamp page and at http://www.themammals.love/. One-hundred percent of the proceeds raised via downloads will be donated to the 0+ organization.
This article appears in December 2018.
