The Mams (2006-2020)
'The Mams were from Llanelli and sang songs about Wales, drinking and love gone wrong.'
Three Singles - 2020
Modeller
#Lockdown Single 1 Release Date 25th April 2020 Listen/Buy on Bandcamp here Listen on Spotify here Listen on Soundcloud here ''Modeller’ is a Sonic Youth meets The Strokes Indie dirge, with a sonic, electronic, Vince Clarke bleeping synth vibe, that scares and excites you at the same time. A real lockdown gem to go mad to at home.' Tophitz Blogsite ’'Monstrous - but in a good way.' Richard Boon 'Phenomenal fuzzy spikes everywhere... one of our undiscovered gems.' Adam Walton BBC Radio Wales Jon Tregenna - Vox, Gtr Mike Gibson - Bass Stuart Gallagher - Keys, Programming Produced by Stuart Gallagher Mastered by Synergy |
Beautiful Thing
#Lockdown Single 2 Release Date 10th May 2020 Listen/Buy on Bandcamp here Listen on Spotify here Listen on Soundcloud here '‘Beautiful Thing’ is a sonic, alternative, pop rock journey into groovy, noisy, edgy, funky and sweet sound. The new track from ‘The Mams’ has a screwed up ‘Nile Rodgers’ on holiday with ‘The Style Council’ on serious lockdown acid vibe. This track is guaranteed to send lockdown shivers through your pop pyjamas.' Tophitz Blogsite Jon Tregenna - Vox, Gtr, Keys, Programming Mike Gibson - Bass Produced by The Mams Mastered by Synergy |
The Insane & the Useless
#Lockdown Single 3 Release Date 7th June 2020 Listen/Buy on Bandcamp here Listen on Spotify here Listen on Soundcloud here 'Noisy Welsh riff masters and cult Indie rock stars ‘The Mams’ finalise their trilogy of 2020 releases with the buzzing, mysterious, intriguing, alternative guitar and dark synth disco single of ‘The Insane & The Useless’ NewSoundExpress Jon Tregenna - Vox, Gtr, Keys, Programming Mike Gibson - Bass Produced by The Mams Mastered by Synergy |
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Locations 2019
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Rhondda St - 2016
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Locations
12 Track Album Released 1st February 2019 Listen on Spotify here Listen on Soundcloud here Download from CD Baby here 'This is a great record' Gruff - Libertino Records 
Noel Gardner - Buzz Magazine Wales
The Mams
Jon Tregenna -Vocals/Keys/Guitar/Programming Mike Gibson - Bass with Charlie Francis - Trumpet/Keys/Programming Spencer Segelov - Guitar O Femi - Vocals Erin Mai - Vocals Produced by Charlie Francis in Cardiff Songs by Jon Tregenna Music by The Mams Video #1
'In The Future' from the 2019 album Locations. Video by Mike Gibson. Track features rapper O Femi. Produced by Charlie Francis in Cardiff. 4100 views to date on facebook. Video #2
'Loving Cup' from the 2019 album Locations. Track features Erin Mai on backing vocals and Spencer Segelov on guitar. Produced by Charlie Francis in Cardiff. 5300 views to date on facebook |
Rhondda St
12 Track Album Released 9th May 2016 Listen on Spotify here Download from CD Baby here 'Lyrical, insightful pop music. A brilliant, brilliant record' Adam Walton BBC Radio Wales 'You’re unlikely to hear a better rock album come out of west Wales any time soon.' BB Skone, Radio Pembrokeshire The Mams Jon Tregenna - Vocals, Guitar, Keys Mike Gibson - Bass Matt Jones - Lead Guitar Pete Mason - Drums with Huw Rees - Percussion Liam Ward - Harmonica Thanks to Rox and Manuela Recorded by Huw Rees in Swansea Mixed by Charlie Francis in Cardiff Songs by Jon Tregenna Music by The Mams Video #1
'Goats' from the 2016 album Rhondda St The BBC's Adam Walton on 'Goats'
‘So much to love... the yearning Midnight Cowboy kind of harmonica to it; also reminds me a little bit of Gershwin, if Gershwin had come from Llanelli, which admittedly he didn’t; and the Glen Campbell guitar solo... you know, all kind of mixed in together in a beautiful mixing bowl coming out exactly like The Mams. You know they’re only kind of vaguely signposts I suppose. James Phillips (on Twitter) put it much better; he said, ‘This sounds effortless.’ Spot on, absolutely.' |
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Scraps - 2007
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Wam Bam! - 2007
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Scraps (Unreleased Tracks From A Long Way Back)
10 Track Album BBC Session and 2007 Single Released 1st March 2019 Listen on Spotify here Listen on Soundcloud here Download from CD Baby here The Mams Tracks 1&2 Jon Tregenna - Vocals/Guitar/Keys Matt Jones - Lead Guitar Pete Mason - Drums Dan Harris - Bass Andrew Harries - Keyboards Produced by Charlie Francis in Cardiff Tracks 3-10 Jon Tregenna - Vocals/Guitar/Keys Mike Gibson - Bass Matt Jones - Lead Guitar Pete Mason - Drums Produced by Carl '60ft Dolls' Bevan in Newport for the Adam Walton BBC Radio Show Songs by Jon Tregenna except tracks 3,4,6 & 10 with Mike Gibson Music by The Mams 
The BBC's Adam Walton reviews The Mams at Telford's Chester in 2008:
'There is no better way to forget the storm outside than a night on the sauce pogoing [some kind of shuffle-on-the-spot is more than acceptable, too] to songs that fill the heart with joy and the head with luminous melodies. These luminous melodies are the responsibility of The Mams who specialise in POP AS IT SHOULD BE... tuneful, memorable and suffused with the kind of experiences we can all relate to. Somewhere along the line the UK music scene forgot how to make pop that isn't anodyne Thatcherite drivel. Well, if you've been wondering who has been carrying the baton for The Specials, The Smiths, Madness, early Blur, the [Small] Faces, ABC and anyone else from these isles who managed to subvert unflinching social commentary with sweet and sour tunes to please the most discerning palate, The Mams are that band. Between them, they have have received the approbation of various international indie pop labels, the legendary John Peel and some Johnny-come-lately nobody from Radio Wales who thinks their songs are the closest anyone in recent years has got to the genius of Mr. Ray Davies, if Mr Ray Davies had had the good fortune of being backed by Chic. Their debut album, Wam! Bam!, received airplay on Radio 2 and 6Music when it was released in 2007.' |
Wam Bam!
11 Track Album Released 1st March 2007 Listen on Spotify here Download from CD Baby here 'Wam Bam! has become my go-to party CD. Although I can’t verify their ages, the title of the last track on Wam Bam! coupled with photos I have found indicate that these guys are not boy-band material, which only makes them better in my mind.' Blogcritics 'The best Welsh pop record of recent times. That's genius! All of it. I smiled so big my ears cracked... Glorious, ace, pop, upness... It doesn't sound like it comes from this, or most other eras... They take all all these bits and pieces of music's uncool past and put it together in such a jolly fashion... Irresistible. Absolutely irresistible... An astonishing record... Everything about it is ACE!' Adam Walton BBC Wales The Mams Jon Tregenna - Vocals/Guitar/Keys Matt Jones - Lead Guitar with Charlie Francis - Keyboards/Programming Produced by Charlie Francis in Cardiff Songs by Jon Tregenna ('West End Girls' lyric by Matt Jones & Jon Tregenna ) Music by The Mams |
1983-1995
Fur-lined - Ta-Ra Goodbye
February 1, 2016 The complete singles and demos recorded by Fur-lined, who shone briefly in London in the early nineties. The line-up was South African Dale Olivier on vocals; Jon Tregenna on guitar and Ian Mansel-Thomas on bass (both from Llanelli) and Gloucester's Laurence Ash on drums. You can listen to the album on Bandcamp Formed in 1993 they achieved modest success with their debut 3-track EP, Love Is Dead. A 2nd 7" vinyl single (Kitchen Party) followed, which was surprisingly reviewed in Kerrang Magazine. Radio plays came from Radio 1's John Peel, Steve Lamacq and Jo Wiley, Mark Goodyear (on drivetime) and Gary Crowley on GLR was a big fan. After ditching their 70s suits, long hair and elaborate literary dubby guitar rock in favour of a more unambitious Brit-pop look and sound, they inevitably split up in 1995 after recording a pop song called 'Gladiator'. |
Fur-lined - Love Is Dead
Feb 1994 ‘AARRGGHHH!!! Moodier than earlier efforts. Fur-lined betray the jocularity of their press releases by swamping their record with squalling supersonic guitars that exclude structure in pursuit of an over-whelming noise-out. In the circumstances, baffling and oddly enjoyable' NME On Radio One here Live video here |
Cwestiwn Da
1983-1985 Cwestiwn Da were from Llanelli. They were a Welsh post-punk band with Jon Tregenna on guitar and vocals, Geraint Thomas on Bass and Jonathan Gimblett in drums. Jonathan was replaced by Rowan Griffiths because he had to sit his O-levels. Cwestiwn Da appeared regularly in Welsh TV shows like Ser and Roc Rol Te. They gigged across Wales, supporting Y Brodyr and Maffia Mr Huws, and also played at the first Pesda Roc. They recorded sessions for the BBC, but released only one track on vinyl. Ail-Gwrdda was part of the heralded Y Popadom Feinyl Du EP and can be heard here. Jon later collaborated with Katell Keineg. This video was recorded for S4C's Fideo 9 c. 1987
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