PRESS PHOTOS

Via Portland Album Cover

The Mulligan Brothers

The Mulligan Brothers have a new sister, a new single, and a new site they’ll play for the first time when the visit Montgomery on Friday at 8 p.m.

“We’ve played some bar shows there in Montgomery, but that’s really all we’ve done there so far. We’re really excited about the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre,” said Ross Newell, lead vocals, guitar and songwriter for the group.

Feel The Music: The Mulligan Brothers Bring Their Unique Sound to Montgomery Story by Shannon Heupel

20 Alabama Bands to Watch (And Listen To) in 2016
The fertile, 21st century Alabama music is shifting. Artists that were adorable blog-bands a few years ago are no chart-topping Grammy nominated acts and major festival booking coups. Here are the 20 Alabama bands and solo acts to watch and listen to in 2016.
Story by Matt Wake for AL.com January, 2016

Ugly Sweaters, Pure Intentions: Mulligan Brother's Christmas Single Benefits St. Mary's Children's Home
Don't be alarmed by the hideous Christmas sweaters: The Mulligan Brothers come bearing a new Christmas song, and the chance to do something nice for the kids at St. Mary's Home.
Story by Lawrence Specker for AL.com December, 2015

In 2015, The Best Music is from Alabama--from Muscle Shoals and Birmingham to Mobile

“There is a great support for music on the coast. Our music is diverse, but you can still feel the heat, the humidity, and the Gulf of Mexico in all of it,” says Ross Newell, lead singer of The Mulligan Brothers from Mobile. “You can play here seven nights a week and there is a great group of listeners who go to the shows and that means you will be booked for another night. They listen close enough to have an opinion and let you know what they love, even if they are too polite to tell you what they hate. Instant feedback is important to know how the song is perceived because as the writer, I hear the song differently."

Story by Lynn Oldshue for The Southern Rambler September 3, 2015

Mulligan Brothers Perform Best Casually

The band members enjoy performing in casual venues where they can get close to the audience.

“We’ve played a lot of living room concerts,” he (Ross Newell) said. “The spirit of the whole thing has been rejuvenating for us. Early on you take gigs before you even know what kind of gigs you want. Now we’ve discovered that everybody benefits more, including us, when we can get comfortable and there are no strangers in the room. We can chat and talk and play these songs. That seems to be the best format for us.”

Rick Brown for the Kearney Hub September 3, 2015

The Mulligan Brothers in Alternate Root's Top 50 of the first half of 2015
Via Portland takes lessons from The Mulligan Brothers self-titled debut and continues to blend imagery in their stories the band easily offers sound as one fluid motion. Ross Newell curls his voice around the words that build his tales, as he gently lets go (“Run on Ahead”), basks in the glow of an evening sky as the Christmas lights sparkle at journeys end (“Road That Leads Me Home”) and sharpens his pen when talking about how the same blood can take different paths (“Not Always What It Seems”).
Danny McCloskey for The Alternate Root

The Story Behind The Mulligan Brothers' Suitcass Bass
All the electronics for the suitcase bass came from parts Ross Newell recycled from old smoke alarms. Turns out if you wire it backwards, the alarm component that makes the loud "beep" noise becomes a microphone, used here as the pickup to amplify bass strings' vibrations.
Story by Matt Wake for AL.com May 26, 2015

Brothers Building Fan Bass
The Mulligan Brothers are not really brothers, but they do qualify as mulligan takers, both careerwise and Arkansaswise. (The word, popular among golfers, refers to an extra stroke taken after a poor shot.)

The Mobile, Ala.-based alt country, folk and blues band members, all of whom have been in other groups, are making up for lost time. And they are making up for a lost performance, returning to Wildwood Park for the Arts after bad weather ruined an October 2013 outdoor festival show.

Story by Jack Hill for the Democrat Gazette March 2015

The Mulligan Brothers Come Full Circle "Via Portland"

The road to the Mulligan Brothers December 10th pre-release CD show at the Joe Jefferson Playhouse in Mobile, Alabama, began this past Fall when the tour bus, loaded with instruments and a portfolio full of new songs, took The Mulligan Brothers west from Mobile, Alabama to Portland, Oregon. Here, the work would begin on their sophomore album, ‘Via Portland’, with producer Steve Berlin. Returning to Mobile from Portland once recording was completed, the band made several tour stops and were met with familiar places and faces. But, it was their time in Portland that brought the band to the realization that the journey out west to make new music was not complete until they returned home to Mobile where their hometown friends and family could become part of moving that musical wheel a full 360º.

The Mulligan Brothers Take The Long Way Home with "Via Portland"

A quick intake of breath and a passage of deep a cappella harmonies open the new album from The Mulligan Brothers and that's likely to be the only quiet moment fans hear from this Gulf Coast group in the foreseeable future...

That balance results in an album that rewards two different styles of listening. Under any circumstances, fan can hear more of what made The Mulligan Brothers so appealing in the first place: The easy Americana flow of music that uses traditional textures without falling into a fake rootsiness, balanced against lyrics that are often sharply contemporary. Where the previous album had "Cecilia," a tale of forbidden interracial love in the Old South, the new one has "Calomine," a haunting, inside-out murder ballad...

But "Via Portland" also rewards headphone listening, with subtle ambiance that lends a new depth to the music.

Story by Lawrence Specker for AL.com December 2014

The Mulligan Brothers Prepare to Debut "Via Portland"

The sonic depth of “Via Portland” is truly amazing. The first thing that listeners will note is the overall quality and clarity of the recording. In a time when technology has made do-it-yourself recording popular with many bands, “Via Portland” is a testament to the benefits of recording with professionals in a professional studio.

Fans can expect “Via Portland” to contrast their debut in many ways. However, The Mulligan Brothers’ core sound and musical philosophy still remain. The band captures the listener with the warm harmonies of “Wait for Me.” Newell sets the stage for a story of longing and heartbreak with his acoustic guitar before being joined by a wave of instrumentation from his band mates. The song creates a foundation for an album that is more sonically dramatic and dynamic than its predecessor.

Story by Steve Centanni for Lagniappe December 2014

The Mulligan Brothers Plan December Release for Second Album
When The Mulligan Brothers put together their “second chance” band in early 2013, it was with the mutual understanding that the music came first. All four agreed that “we wanted to play our original music and make a career out of it without selling (our) souls.” The band was willing to take a risk by playing their original music and slowly, methodically building a fan base, knowing that money would be tight and fame an unlikely bedfellow.

“We’re doing honest music,” says Gram, “These are true and honest stories about real life experiences…honest music from the heart.” As with their first effort, the band has tried to stay way from “formulas set forth on the radio.” Confirms Rea, “We want to play our music even if it doesn’t mean a major deal. We just want a solid career that we can sustain for many, many years and a following that appreciates the music. It’s really about the music at the end of the day.” He admits that it’s a little scary to release a second album when the first was so well received, but “We’re very excited. There are some really great songs – you’re just going to have to wait and see!”

Story by Holly Dey for OnTap October 2014

Storytelling takes the stage as Mobile’s most promising up-and-coming band melds bittersweet lyrics with comforting Americana/folk melodies.
The Mulligan Brothers – a locally based musical foursome – gently weave heartfelt tales of love and loss into a complex yet comforting quilt of bluegrass instrumentals, the combination of which will leave you nostalgic for something (or someone) that you can’t quite put your finger on. With a remarkable universality, the band’s self-titled debut album features songs that you could as easily imagine spilling from the mouth of a storied, laugh-lined old man as his teenage grandson grieving his first heartbreak. The Mulligan Brothers sing and play about where they’ve been in a way that makes us all realize we’ve been there, too.

Story by Haley Potts for Mobile Bay Magazine October 2014

Gram Rea's Interview for Jam's Plus Media's Interview Series: Up and Coming Artists Playing BayFest 2014

The Mulligan Brothers at BayFest

For The Mulligan Brothers, a band whose members hail from coastal Alabama and Mississippi, a late afternoon spot on the Coca-Cola Stage was a plum showcase and a chance to unveil some new material. The group has won widespread notice for the folksy Americana on its self-titled debut album, and it recently spent time in Oregon recording a follow-up, with the sessions helmed by multiple Grammy winner Steve Berlin.

The group mixed several new songs into the set, including "Bad Idea," their closing tune. It was a standout, marked by rippling guitar and a walking bass line that gave it an energy different from anything on the first album.

Story by Lawrence Specker for AL.com, October 5, 2014

Grammy winning producer to oversee new Mulligan Brothers album.

A producer with a share in seven Grammy Awards will oversee the recording of The Mulligan Brothers' second album, the Gulf Coast band has announced. The recording sessions will take place in Portland, Ore., overseen by Steve Berlin.

Berlin likely is best-known to the public for his work as a member of the band Los Lobos. But he has worked as a producer throughout his career, and has been involved with Grammy-winning projects in both roles. In addition to Los Lobos recordings, those projects include songs and albums by Buckwheat Zydeco, Ozomatli, John Lee Hooker and Los Super Seven.

Story by Lawrence Specker for AL.com

Little Art in the Parking Lot

The sound of revving engines mingled with the chatter of moms and dads and kids and artists and curious pedestrians who happened to stumble across the scene. Around about 3 o’clock on the makeshift bandstand – not a stand, really; just a clearing on the concrete near the food and beer, with some speakers set up – the Mulligan Brothers, up from Mobile, Alabama, picked up their guitars and bass and fiddle and laid down a backbeat.

Story by Bob Hicks for the Oregon Artswatch, September 12, 2014

Mulligan Brothers Return to Tuscaloosa

The Mulligan Brothers return to Tuscaloosa Thursday for its second Acoustic Night at the Bama performance in the last three months.

The Tusk August 14, 2014

The Mulligan Brothers make the Top Ten Best Selling Jazz Fest CD's chart.

http://www.offbeat.com/2014/06/01/top-selling-albums-during-jazz-fest-2014/

'We're Going to Show You How Cool Mobile Is,' Say Backers of Planned TV Concert Series

The occaion was the recording of a live concert by The Mulligan Brothers for the pilot episode of a new television series showcasing the Mobile area's musical riches.

The band, too, was volunteering its time. Newell said the reason he and his bandmates were willing to do so on a speculative venture was simple: Sirten had asked them, and their respect for him meant they didn't have to think twice. In the last year the group has played at venues including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Boston's Fenway Park and the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, the last being a point of particular pride. But being invited to Avalon was still something special, band members said.

AL.com July 13, 2014

The Mulligan Brothers Play Rock'N'Bowl on June 27

Hailing from Alabama and Baton Rouge, The Mulligan Brothers have emerged as a serious up-and-coming talent. The Mulligan Brothers play a unique brand of folk music, oscillating between Americana and country western while incorporating elements of the blues.

After playing their first Jazz Fest this year, The Mulligan Brothers were named one of Offbeat’s Top Selling Albums of the Festival.

OffBeat, June 25, 2014

The Mulligan Brothers Come to The Bama Theatre

Emerging from the port city of Mobile, The Mulligan Brothers demonstrate harmony not only in a literal sense, but also figuratively. “A lot of it is the camraderie, how we get along, and Ross Newell's songwriting doesn't hurt,” said drummer Greg Deluca.

Tuscaloosa News, June 12, 2014

Alabama Band to Perform at the Bama

In the past few years, more and more Alabama-based musicians have been climbing up the musical ladder and achieving national fame and recognition, and The Mulligan Brothers said they hope to join that ever-expanding list.

“I think there’s a plethora of talent coming out of Alabama right now,” DeLuca said. “A lot of it has to do with that Muscle Shoals sound with St. Paul and the Broken Bones and the Alabama Shakes, but we hope we’re adding to it as well. We hope we’re following in the footsteps of those bands’ success with it. I don’t think we sound just like them at all, but we have some sort of an Alabama sound.”

Newell said living in Alabama and interacting with other Alabama-based musicians helps inspire The Mulligan Brothers’ sound.

The Crimson White, June 11, 2014

Mulligan Brothers Get a Do-Over
The band's sound is a combination of familiar genres that ends up not quite fitting in with any of them. The instruments are acoustic and a fiddle is featured, but they're not a bluegrass ensemble. The arrangements are stripped down, but they're not quite Americana. Their lyrics are heartbreakingly intimate, but they're not quite folk. It's music that resists easy categorization despite the familiar building blocks.
Spartanburg Herald-Journal, June 5, 2014

Lap's Music Festival to Feature Local Musicians
If there is one band that has been doing Mobile proud of late, then it has to be The Mulligan Brothers. In a short time, this band has gone from playing local watering holes to performing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Currently, this modern Americana group is busy writing their second album. The band is also getting ready to go into the studio, and they will have a “big announcement” concerning the studio and producer in the coming weeks.
Lagniappe.com May 29, 2014

Emerging Alabama Band The Mulligan Brothers Comes to JazzFest
If you don’t know of The Mulligan Brothers yet, you will soon as this emerging Mobile, Alabama band makes its way to the Lagniappe Stage at the New Orleans JazzFest this May to show off their knack for writing fine Americana, folk songs and their comfort and talent as a band, even though they’ve been playing together for less than two years.

AXS.com April 9, 2014

The Mulligan Brothers at Rock 'n' Bowl

“Armed with a violin, acoustic guitar, drums and an upright bass fashioned from two old suitcases, the Mulligan Brothers, a quartet from Mobile, Ala., stand dead center at the crossroads generally defined as Americana. Folk, country and blues all factor into the sound, as Ross Newell’s nuanced, radio-ready voice brings the band’s story-songs to vivid life.”

Nola.com March 14, 2014

The Mulligan Brothers Headed to Gulf Shores for Music at Meyer Park

The GulfCoast’s own Mulligan Brothers close out the 2014 edition of Music at Meyer Park on April 24. This emerging group from Mobile proves that good stories and lyrics still matter in music and well-written songs don’t need a catchy chorus or a happy ending to win over an audience or to be played over and over.

Their self-titled debut album has drawn rave reviews earning them a spot in this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside Alabama-based acts Jason Isbell and the Alabama Shakes.

Gulf Coast News Today March 14, 2014

Mulligan Brothers Go to the Mountain

The latest evidence of The Mulligan Brothers' growing regional reputation comes in the form of a prestigious radio showcase this week. The Gulf Coast group will be featured in this week’s broadcasts of "Thacker Mountain Radio" a program produced and aired in Mississippi.

AL.com February 27, 2014

Rising Coastal Act The Mulligan Brothers Make the Jazz Fest Cut

The 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival will feature two internationally famous Alabama acts in Jason Isbell and the Alabama Shakes, and another that might be on its way: the Gulf Coast's own Mulligan Brothers.

It's a big step up for a group that made quite an impression in the Mobile area in 2013 with the release of its debut album, a self-titled collection of folksy Americana. It recently was picked as Alabama album of the year by readers of Mod Mobilian, a Mobile-based multimedia outlet focusing on arts and culture.

AL.com January 14, 2014

Always Timeless

Alabama-based band The Mulligan Brothers will stop in to Chelsea’s Café this Saturday, Jan.11, with a unique blend of folk and Americana that has drawn a large audience through the use of good, honest story-telling.

Being from the South seems to have influenced The Mulligan Brothers both in its lyrics and instrumentation. “In Alabama there is a great music scene,” Newell said. “Not only because of the musicians but because of the patrons and supporters of music. We get inspired by great musicians around us. Growing up in the South we’ve definitely got some Cajun influence and finally are in the band that we want to be in. It feels like we’re finally home, I think that’s a direct product of where we come from.”

DIG January 2013

The Mulligan Brothers are Featured in Regional Musician

If you're a fan of Trampled by Turtles, then you're going to feel right at home listening to Ross Newell on lead vocals. The jam these guys lay down makes you feel like you've just cozied up to The Infamous Stringdusters show. There's now mistaking it, The Mulligan Brothers are
on their way up, and fast.

The Regional Musician November 2013

Second Chances for The Mulligan Brothers

The Mulligan Brothers self-titled debut album begins with a mournful fiddle supported by the steady undercurrent of bass and drums. As Ross Newell begins his haunting tale of forbidden plantation love, it is clear that the song will end in death and heartbreak, but well-written songs don't need a catchy chorus or a happy ending to win over a crowd or to be played over and over again.

The Southern Rambler October 2013

The Mulligan Brothers

The Sound and the viewpoint of The Mulligan Brothers are a rich mix of historic and modern influences. The instrumentation is predominantly acoustic featuring plenty of stand up bass from (Ben) Leininger and violin and mandolin from (Gram) Rea (who also plays viola and bass on the album)...And yet there is something distinctively different from the neo-rustic strain of Americana popular in the last few years. Newell's voice as both the principal songwriter and the lead vocalist tends to be very contemporary.

The Mobile Press Register June 4, 2013