praise + interviews
I DON’T NEED YOUR PERMISSION:
"The anger here is real, but so is the hope underneath it. Her band The Garage plays with the kind of edge that Joan Jett and The Pretenders had, but this sounds like now, not then."
- Mason Turner, Little Chief Music
"[C]ombines the unrefined spirit of garage rock with the polish of pop and ache of raw emotion, serving up gut-wrenching yet invigorating sonic and lyrical composition."
- Music Mingle
"The kind of album that feels like it belongs in the passenger seat of your summer road trip--reliable, fun, and not afraid to call you out when needed."
- Tracy Nash, Rock The Joint Magazine
"It's an album that deserves to be circulated, listened to loudly and attentively, because it proves that rock remains a language capable of healing, prodding, and moving consciousness."
- Indie Noise Nation/Rádio Armazém
"She's no longer just taking the stage—she's making her mark. And with the vibrant energy of her band, who clearly share her passion and firepower, Strand is stepping into the rock scene with a presence that's at once loud, frank, and touchingly sincere."
- Revolutions de Rhythme
"If you ever wondered what happened to that punk spirit that its aging followers still wax lyrical about, look no further."
- Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover
GOLDEN GIRL:
“[J]ust the right level of pop addiction is balanced with just enough rock swagger ... Throw in a touch of Americana and a few more funky vibes, and you have the sonic fingerprint for her debut album, Golden Girl ... [T]wo things are obvious. Firstly, this album explores the various aspects of love, loss, longing, and life itself. Secondly, Mary Strand has, even on her first long player, reserved herself a seat at the ‘ones to watch’ table.”
- Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover
“A generous dip into 60s pop female vocalists opens Mary Strand's first album with 'Alexa Please,' & continues with a punky-garage band guitar on 'Different Kind of World.' ... A variety of styles crop up in the showcase, the Lesley Gore assertions, the Dixie Cups, the Angels, the Crystals, Reparata & the Del-Rons ... with a potent dose of Shangri-Las’ Mary Weiss’ tough girl vocalese (‘Leader of the Pack’). This music was quite cool in the early 60s driving female rock spirit. Since it hasn't been heard in a fresh showcase for decades, it’s a welcome sound.”
- John Apice, Americana Highways
"The debut album from the singer, vocalist, songwriter and author Mary Strand, these 10 songs touch on pop and rock ideas, and welcome some excellent guest musicians from the vibrant Minneapolis scene. 'Alexa Please' gets the listen off to an energetic start, where Jack Strand's crisp drums, lively guitar and Strand's raw yet tuneful voice make for a crunchy rocker, and 'Different Kind of World' follows with Mark Wade's skilled bass and the gritty garage rock nods that won't go unappreciated. ... while the warm 'The Me I Need To Be' carries a bit of punky spirit in the harmonic album highlight. 'Stay for Breakfast' ... showcases Ryan Smith's fluid piano playing in the mature versus adventurous song craft. ... All the songs here surround the theme of love, and Strand's influences from The Muffs, Ramones and The Beach Boys won't be hard to miss across this infectious and excellent first record."
- Take Effect
"Mary Strand started as a lawyer who wanted to be a writer, became a fiction writer who then apparently wanted to become a rock star, and now is on her way to becoming that too. Golden Girl is her debut album, yet feels like the work of an experienced rocker. ... Clearly Mary Strand can do whatever she sets her mind to (which, honestly, is a bit irritating to those of us who are still trying to get our first novel published)."
- Michael Doherty's Music Log
"The poppy opening track ‘Alexa Please’ seems to have its origins in the 'golden sixties' period and immediately brings us to a solid guitar rocker in the 'Blondie'-esque song ‘Different Kind Of World,’ just like the album title track ‘Golden Girl.’ The catchy ballad ‘Kiss Me At Midnight’ sounds very sweet and ‘The Me I Need To Be,’ sounding like something from the girl group The Go-Go's, is ripe enough to become a radio hit in our opinion. Undoubtedly also striking is the danceable swing song ‘Acabé,’ sung entirely in Spanish."
- Rootstime (Belgium/Netherlands, translated from Dutch)
* * *
Interview (and featured on the cover): https://www.makingascene.org/mary-strand-is-making-a-scene-2/
- Making a Scene Magazine
- Mostly Minnesota
Interview: https://ventsmagazine.com/2025/07/17/interview-mary-strand-2/
- Vents Magazine
Interview: https://voyageminnesota.com/interview/conversations-with-mary-strand
- VoyageMinnesota
Interview (and a live song) with Ryan Smith and Mary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYCP_eMsntg
- Sarah Morris’s Toilet Tunes