Michael J. Merenda Jr.

Michael J. Merenda Jr. is a singer-songwriter with the American folk band, the Mammals. He plays guitar, banjo, ukulele and percussion. He also has a solo career and performs with the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band.

Michael J. Merenda Jr.
Michael (right) and Ruth Ungar Merenda in Woodstock, NY, 2007
Background information
Born1976
Durham, NH
Genresfolk, folk rock, old time music
InstrumentsGuitar, banjo, ukulele, vocals, songwriter
Associated actsThe Mammals, Ruth Ungar, Tao Rodríguez-Seeger, Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, Dan Bern Mike + Ruthy

Merenda was raised in Durham, New Hampshire. He is married to Ruth Ungar, daughter of Jay Ungar and Lyn Hardy.

Biography

Merenda grew up in Durham, New Hampshire, where his father[1] is a faculty member at the University of New Hampshire.[2] In 1998, he graduated with a creative writing degree from Bowdoin College in Maine and he then moved to New York City.[3]

As a teenager Merenda started out playing guitar with the band Skarotum with his brother Chris. He started playing drums in elementary school, started playing the guitar in sixth grade and picked up the banjo after he met Ruth Ungar in 1998.[4]

In 2000 Merenda moved to Western Massachusetts and in 2001 he, Ruth Ungar and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger started The Mammals.[5] As well as being a member of the Mammals, Merenda has an active solo career with three CDs in his own name. He was supporting act for Dan Bern in November 2006. In 2008 he and his wife released their first duo cd, The Honeymoon Agenda, on their own record label, Humble Abode Music. .[6]

Notes
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 30, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. Barry, John W., "Individualism Shines Through Work of Duo" Poughkeepsie Journal November 21, 2003. Retrieved:September 4, 2007
  3. Michael's bio https://web.archive.org/web/20090430173912/http://www.michaelmerenda.com/bio.html [Archive Retrieved:March 24, 2016]
  4. Huffman, William A. http://www.wirenh.com/Music/Music_-_general/The_Mammals_20041124176.html
  5. Himes, Geoffrey "Old School" Archived September 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Baltimore City Paper November 26, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2007
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2009.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)"Michael Merenda Bio". Retrieved September 4, 2007

Discography

Solo
  • Trapped in the Valley (2000)
  • Election Day (2004)
  • Quiver (2006)

Mike and Ruthy
  • The Honeymoon Agenda (2008)
  • Waltz of the Chickadee (2009)
  • Million to One (2010)

With The Mammals
  • Born Live (2001)
  • Evolver (2002)
  • Migration (EP)(2004)
  • Rock That Babe (2004)
  • Departure (2006)

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