"More a spectacle than a traditional two-person band, Mad Tea Party consists of vocalist and ukulele strummer Ami Worthen and guitarist, fiddler and drummer Jason Krekel. As Worthen reels out charming and quirky songs with an arch sense of humor, Krekel does double- and triple-duty, creating the illusion of a much bigger band with only two arms and two legs. It's a sight to behold...but Mad Tea Party's unique sound is just as worthy of note. A bubbly amalgam of juke-joint blues, pop, tiki exotica and rockabilly, the band has honed an approach that is unique and affecting without being too precious." - Metro Santa Cruz

"Percolating sounds of 1950s roots rock, mountain music and blues through an interesting array of instrumentations and interpretations, Mad Tea Party creates a rather sly sound rich with an energetic curiousity and a deviously fun flavor." - Escape Magazine

"Mad Tea Party plays a danceable, campy, shredded up mix of just about every kind of American music you can think of: Ami Worthen rips the ukulele, Jason Krekel brings the noise on guitar, fiddle and drums, and they belt out their sweet but biting lyrics with passion and abandon." - Creative Alliance Baltimore

"Worthen jump-starts the beat on soprano ukulele while ace musician Krekel fortifies the groove on electric guitar, plus two drums and a cymbal he plays with pedals. The results will have listeners up and dancing." - WNC Magazine

"Hilariously authentic jump-jazz-jive." - Relix Magazine

Reviews of FOUND A REASON:

"If The White Stripes and Southern Culture on the Skids mated, had fraternal twins and raised them to rock out with ukulele accompaniment, we would have Asheville, NC's Mad Tea Party. The newly-minted duo's new release FOUND A REASON is playful old school rock that is both straightforward and wonderfully melodic. It's B-52s meets Buddy Holly with a lot more thump; Americana with a funky fire underneath the plaintiveness of Jason Krekel's smooth vocals and Ami Worthen's jukebox-era delivery...FOUND A REASON shows Mad Tea Party to be a band with more to offer than retro artifices. The group takes traditional styles of playing and puts a good, fresh coat of paint on it." - Southeast Performer

"Mad Tea Party's FOUND A REASON is a delicious juke joint jaunt, with emphasis on the 'uke'. The duo from Asheville plays rockabilly, early punk, old time, and 1960s rock and roll (among others) with a Buddy Holly swagger and the authenticity of 1930s street performers." - PopMatters

“A collection of infectious indie stompers and honky-tonk pop tunes that make sitting still not an option…FOUND A REASON is a jaunty, high-speed romp through the theatrical Americana made popular by groups like Southern Culture on the Skids." - Bold Life Magazine

"Hipsters rejoice...Mad Tea Party, made up of Jason Krekel and Ami Worthen, offer up good ol’ raw rock ‘n’ roll. This Ashville, North Carolina duo really hit the mark on their new album FOUND A REASON their fourth overall. Krekel has the chops on electric guitar, fiddle, bass and foot drums. Worthen’s sweet voice goes with her steady acoustic guitar and ukulele. Think classic rock/blues riffs." - On Tap Magazine

"Garage-rock radness with boy-girl vocals and thumping foot-drums." - KUCI 88.9 FM

"Their sound, filled with retro ease, is southern rockabilly meets country blues meets Ami Worthen's electric ukulele. On the album, entitled FOUND A REASON, Mad Tea Party channels the earliest genres of American music, and adds a dose of alternative fun, spirit, and spunk to them. When guitarist Jason Krekel climbs up and down the frets of his guitar, he plucks the strings with an energy Elvis would respond to, and their songwriting channels that of Chuck Berry." - Beyond Race Magazine

"From the opening rollicking opening chords of 'Blues Slip In', the album stomps and glides with a toe-tapping catchiness...The stomp is natural, unrestrained, and always on the verge of being sloppy. The gap between the backbeat and floor-walloping strut is primitive but perfect...It’s too easy to call up comparisons to other dynamic duos currently bashing it out on the scene; rather, Mad Tea Party is more like where Flat Duo Jets meets Flatt and Scruggs." - Unbound Culture

And still more quotes....

"Asheville-based Mad Tea Party is the next generation of wacky, retro-steeped Carolina bands, following in the footsteps of Squirrel Nut Zippers and Southern Culture on the Skids." - Charlotte Observer

"This is the kind of band that can bring together somewhat disparate people. From the tattooed punk rock guy, to the hipster grandmother, to the hillbilly next door neighbor, everyone can enjoy and absorb something from this music." - Amps Eleven Magazine

"The party is mad, and somebody must have spiked the tea. I'd guess it was that mad ukelele-slinging frontwoman, Ami Worthen. This vaudeville-billy dark-side-of-Hee Haw sound is a lot of her handiwork, retro and sly and full of attitude. 'Our approach is kind of punk rock,' says guitarist Jason Krekel. 'It's very DIY - do it yourself.' Punk may seem a surprising word to associate with a band fronted by a ukelele player. 'It's going out and doing something completely new,' he says, 'and we're trying to adopt the punk rock attitude about it.'" - Bold Life Magazine

"Asheville-native band Mad Tea Party provide a richly diverse concoction of folk-pop and indie music that proves infectious. The band's undertones are those of musical circus gypsies playing mythical mountain music in modern hipster fashion. The Mad Tea Party is truly a rare feast for the diverse music lover." - Post and Courier

"Worthen's angel-with-budding-horns vibe can be absorbed straight or skewed, making Mad Tea Party equal to both family festivals and hipster dives." - Mountain Xpress