mary in the junkyard

The British indie rock trio mary in the junkyard channels a D.I.Y. ethos into understated yet commanding performances. Domestic outlets took notice in 2023 when the group issued its first single, “Tuesday,” built around restless jangly guitars and spectral vocals that shifted without warning from vulnerable to ferocious. That same onstage precision carried over to the four-track EP this old house, issued to strong response in 2024.

Singer-guitarist Clara Freeman-Taylor and drummer David Addison had previously worked together in the alternative band Second Thoughts. They assembled mary in the junkyard just before the COVID-19 lockdown curtailed in-person activity, having grown frustrated with remote recording and online-only audience building. Bassist-violinist Saya Barbaglia joined after meeting Freeman-Taylor in a youth orchestra.

The trio quickly earned a reputation in England for its tightly executed club shows of alternative material defined by abrupt dynamic shifts and Freeman-Taylor’s haunted delivery, a style the band itself calls “angry weepy chaos rock.” Its debut single “Tuesday” appeared in 2023; a year later the track “ghost” served as the lead preview for this old house.