Mark and his band exemplify what lies at the heart of the best of Americana: gutsy, unpretentious music with soul and spirit. Mark Jungers was born and raised in a small farming community in Minnesota. When his father died young, Mark and his brothers were left to carry on the family farm or lose it. It was then that the steadfast work ethic of the American farmer was instilled in Mark. Greg Roberts of Country Line Magazine writes "this guy works harder than anybody I've ever seen. The list of clubs he's played looks like the yellow pages; he's everywhere." Jungers was a major player in the mid 80s Austin music scene, playing with a number of different bands including Hell's Cafe and The Masons. In the fall of 1994, he left Texas for Connecticut, where he began a solo career, and where his songwriting really began to prosper. He found regional success as the lead singer of The Motel Preachers, but Texas was calling, and he returned to the Austin area in 1997. The songwriting continued and he soon formed what is now Mark Jungers & The Whistling Mules. 2000 saw the release of Mark's first album, "Black Limousine", which gained him a strong Texas following. 2002 brought forth the second album "Standing in Your Way", and 2004 saw the release of "One for the Crow", which gained Mark national attention. The CD spent 14 weeks on the Americana Chart, 26 weeks on the Roots Music Report, 2 months on the F.A.R. Chart, and reached no. 2 on XM Radio's X-Country Weekly Rank List. Mark's commitment to the art of songwriting remains evident on his fourth release, the self-produced Silos and Smokestacks, released in 2007. The honesty of his songs, in a delivery totally without pretense, captures the true American spirit. "Mark Jungers writes and sings about the type of human condition that is the true reason this country is able to stay on the course of greatness. He's got grease on his hands and dirt and blood on his shirt. He connects, and that what music is supposed to do" says Mattson Rainer, Program Director of KNBT in New Braunfels, Texas. The uniqueness of Mark Jungers' music is well demonstrated by the variety of bills the band has shared. Mark and the Mules have played with Fred Eaglesmith, The Derailers, Guy Clark, Gary P. Nunn, Slaid Cleaves, Slobberbone, Sisters Morales, Trout Fishing in America, Billy Joe Shaver, Charlie Robison, Cory Morrow, The Gourds, Terri Hendrix, and the list goes on. Mark's reputation as one of Austin's premier songwriters continues to grow, as an increasing number of musicians are performing his material. Adam Carroll and Susan Gibson, generally recognized as two of Texas' finest current batch of songwriters, and Canada's Roger Marin frequently collaborate with him on songs. He has also written songs for Sunny Sweeney, who is bursting onto the country scene.