Walk On Mars (WOM) is a Pop-Punk project started by Mary Jo Swank. Terminating gender stereotypes and consistently representing neon green in the coolest way possible, she kicked off WOM's journey on YouTube with a powerful cover of My Chemical Romance’s “Cancer,” which has by now gathered over 85,000 views. Mary Jo has since gone on to reach over 20 million views across a multitude of platforms on ‘Stacy’s Side’ a parody of Fountains of Wayne’s track ‘Stacy's Mom.’ Following this success, rewriting song lyrics has become a fundamental component of WOM’s online presence, with other viral parodies including ‘Mr. Brightside,’ ‘Sweet Child O' Mine’ and ‘Jolene’.
Mary Jo’s online efforts have led her to collaborate with the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra on stage with Grammy-winning composer, James Blachly, and open for Social Media star David Michael Frank on his nationwide “Private Party Tour”. Since 2020, Walk On Mars has also performed annually at THON, Penn State University’s charity fundraiser to support families impacted by childhood cancer. The event is held at PSU’s 15,000 seat arena, the Bryce Jordan Center, and raised a record-breaking $16.9 million in 2024.
After releasing Walk On Mars’ debut album under Wol'Flower Records in 2023, Mary Jo is now pursuing her musical vision for the project as an independent artist. Her first independent release, entitled ‘Voodoo Barbie,’ details Mary Jo’s struggle against gender stereotypes and misogyny throughout her career as an artist. It will serve as the first single from WOM’s upcoming album.
Walk On Mars’ mission is to write and perform relatable music that can inspire anyone to reach beyond the stars and walk on Mars.