The Mahones

The Mahones are a Canadian Irish-punk band, formed in 1990 by Dublin-born[1] Finny McConnell, as a one-off band for a St. Patrick's Day party.[2] Encouraged by a positive reception, McConnell decided to pursue the band full-time.[3] The Mahones have released thirteen albums to date with their most recent, Love, Death, & Redemption, being released in 2018.

The Mahones’ music has appeared in several major films. They co-wrote and recorded the title track for the 1996 film Celtic Pride. Their song "100 Bucks" was featured in the 1998 film Dog Park. Their song "Paint The Town Red 2010" was featured in the climactic final fight scene of the 2010 film The Fighter.[4] Their song "A Little Bit of Love" is in the 2011 film Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy.

The Mahones have shared stages and toured around the world with bands such as Dropkick Murphys, Stiff Little Fingers, Shane MacGowan and The Popes, Billy Bragg, Chuck Ragan, UK Subs, Sick Of It All, The Defects, Agnostic Front, The Buzzcocks, D.O.A., Against Me, The Tragically Hip, Crash Vegas, The Damned, Suicidal Tendencies, The Prodigy, Gwar, Skunk Anansie, Blue Rodeo, Steve Earle, The Alarm, Sinéad O'Connor, Roger Miret and The Disasters, Dylan Walshe, Flogging Molly, Spirit of the west, The Dubliners, Christy Moore, The Band and Van Morrison. The band’s cited influences included The Clash, The Pogues, Greenland Whalefishers, The Who, and Hüsker Dü. The group’s lineup has changed a number of times, with McConnell and Whelan as the main constant members. Pogues members Terry Woods and Phil Chevron joined the band on tour in 2003.[5]

In 1999, bassist Joe Chithalen died in Amsterdam shortly after a concert. He had accidentally ingested food containing peanuts, to which he was allergic. The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library, Joe’s M.I.L.L., was established in Kingston soon after by Wally High. The Mahones perform fundraising concerts for Joe's M.I.L.L. annually.[6]

In 2010, The Mahones started their own record label, Whiskey Devil Records, and signed a distribution deal with eOne Music.[7]

In 2014, The Mahones were nominated Best Punk Band at the Sirius XM Indie Awards.[8] In 2012, The Mahones' album The Black Irish won the Independent Music Award for Best Punk Album,[9] and Angels & Devils won Paddy Rock Radio's album of the year,[10] as well as Vandala Concepts' album of the year [11]

In 2016, Scruffy Wallace joined the band as their new bagpipe player. Wallace quit the Dropkick Murphys after 12 years with the band. That same year, Guillaume Lauzon (formerly with Canadian Psychobilly band "The Brains") joined the band as their new drummer.

The Mahones cite The Pogues as a main influence. That band were originally called Pogue Mahone (an anglicisation of an Irish phrase meaning "kiss my arse"), but later shortened it to The Pogues. "The Mahones" is seen as similarly derived from Pogue Mahone, as a tribute to The Pogues.[12]

Current Members

• Finny McConnell - Lead Vocals, Guitar, Mandolin, Songwriter
• Katie McConnell - Accordion, Vocals
• Michael O'Grady - Tin Whistle, Vocals
• Sean Ryan - Bass, Vocals
• Guillaume Lauzon - Drums
• Scruffy Wallace - Bagpipes

Former Members

• Dom Whelan
• Chris Ward
• Colm McConnell
• Paul Mancuso
• "The" Barry Williams
• Andrew Brown
• Ger O'Sullivan
• Mauro Sepe
• Owen Warnica
• David Allen
• Kevan Williams
• Paddy Concannon
• Miranda Mulholland
• Chris Scahill
• Chris Smirnios
• Ewen McIntosh
• Joe Chithalen
• Sean Winter
• Mike Franey