Miracle Legion

Miracle Legion is an indie rock and jangle pop group from New Haven, Connecticut, active from 1983 to the present. The band forms around singer Mark Mulcahy and guitarist Mr. Ray Neal, with a line-up that includes drummer Jeff Wiederschall and bassist Steven West in its early years, and later drummer Scott Boutier and bassist Dave McCaffrey. Its members also include Scott Boutier, David McCaffrey, Mark Mulcahy and Ray Neal.

Early releases and first line-up

The band begins in 1984 and makes its first release with the EP The Backyard on Incas Records. That record becomes a college radio hit. Its first full-length album, Surprise Surprise Surprise, follows in 1987 on Rough Trade Records. In 1988, the band releases Glad, a mix of new material and live tracks, and the set includes a guest appearance by Pere Ubu.

Line-up changes and later work

After the rhythm section leaves in 1988, Mulcahy and Neal continue as a duo and tour as support for The Sugarcubes. The 1989 release Me and Mr. Ray, recorded at Prince’s Paisley Park Studios, leads to the addition of Boutier and McCaffrey and a deal with Morgan Creek. The label funds the 1992 album Drenched, which is produced by John Porter, whose credits include work with Roxy Music and The Smiths.

Hiatus, side project and return

Following Drenched, legal problems with the label leave the band and its name in limbo. Interest continues when Nickelodeon asks the group to write music for the television series The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Neal declines, while Mulcahy works on the project with the rhythm section under the name Polaris. That project lasts three years, and the song “Hey Sandy” becomes the theme to Pete & Pete. In one episode, Neal appears with the rest of the band. Once the legal issues are resolved, Miracle Legion releases Portrait Of A Damaged Family on Mezzotint in 1996.

Later recognition

After the band’s return, Mulcahy releases three solo albums. Neal also plays shows again in the Northeast, both on his own and with Jellyshirts. Boutier and McCaffrey go on to serve as the rhythm section for Frank Black and the Catholics. Reruns of Pete & Pete on Noggin help renew interest in Miracle Legion’s music.