Dermot Mulroney and Kieran Mulroney

Acting Brothers Present Their Roots-Rock Band Jackrabbit

by Ronald Sklar

Brothers Dermot and Kieran Mulroney have spent much of their lives in the public eye, but with their band Jackrabbit, they are finally standing side by side in the role that may fit them best: authentic American storytellers carrying forward a family tradition of music, humor, travel, and heart.

Joined by fellow musicians Ted Russell Kamp, Victor Krummenacher, Michael Mennell, and Brian Whelan, the Los Angeles-based group has quietly built a reputation for warm, roots-driven songs that feel instantly familiar, the kind of music that sounds like it’s always existed somewhere along a desert highway radio dial.

“They sound like songs that you’ve heard before because they’re based on references that you know,” Dermot explained in recent interviews. “They’re the kind of songs that bring joy to people instead of sadness and hurt. We keep them simple and just play with our heart – play with joy, and let the people just have fun with it instead of having to listen hard.”

That philosophy runs through every aspect of Jackrabbit, from their harmony-heavy sound to the cowboy suits, boots, and hats they proudly wear onstage.

“We’ve grown up as country music fans and so storytelling is major,” Dermot said. “Every song we play is in a major key. We’re going to be in cowboy suits and hats and boots. So we’re a visual act.”

For the Mulroney brothers, music appreciation was planted deep in childhood by parents who encouraged creativity without forcing it. Their late father, Michael Mulroney, a beloved Villanova law professor, left a profound impact not only on his students but on his sons.

“Everybody lost a really good one,” Dermot reflected. “How many people have come up since he died to tell me that they knew of him as a professor or they were in his class? It’s good for me to know that he touched that many lives.”

Their father’s Irish folk roots also shaped the brothers’ musical instincts.

“We had music-loving parents who didn’t force us to play anything, but encouraged us with high expectations and support,” Dermot said. “Our dad came from an Irish group singing out of small towns in Iowa. So there’s a folk tradition. Every note that I sing now is a part of the long generational expression.”

That tradition extends to their children. Kieran adds, “I think if you’ve got a kid, just play music, put art on the walls and tell them stories. They’ll find a way to express themselves. I’ve done that with my daughter.”

Even the band’s name came from family memories. Kieran recalled a camping trip to Joshua Tree with their children where they invented a nighttime hide-and-seek game requiring everyone to shout “Jack Rabbit! Jack Rabbit!” while searching in the dark.

“We were lucky to have an outdoorsy dad ourselves,” Kieran said. “We’re campers and road trippers.”

While Dermot became a celebrated actor with roles stretching from My Best Friend’s Wedding to Friends, he never lost his hunger for performing live. “

It makes me feel like I’m 20 years old when I push myself to travel,” he said of touring. “I’m at my best.”

Kieran, meanwhile, remains forever linked to one of television comedy’s most quoted moments, thanks to his brief but unforgettable appearance on Seinfeld as the man outraged over George Costanza “double-dipping the chip.”

“If you count the number of seconds I was in that show, it’s probably under 90,” he laughed. “I was lucky enough to be the guy who got to say the words.”

Today, the brothers bring that same easy humor and lived-in chemistry to Jackrabbit’s performances, whether they’re playing hometown reunion shows in Alexandria, Virginia, or heading into high-pressure Nashville weekends during CMA festivities.

Through it all, the Mulroneys remain refreshingly grounded and down to earth. In fact, Dermot laughs off the constant misspelling of his famous first name on Starbucks cups (think “Dermont” and “Dimond”) and the constant confusion with another actor, Dylan McDermott, which has become a cultural running joke. Kieran, meanwhile, solves the Starbucks problem simply: “I just say my name is ‘Mike.’”

Beneath the humor, however, is an unmistakable sense that Jackrabbit represents something deeper – a lifelong creative bond between brothers who never stopped saying yes to art, music, storytelling, and each other.

Find out more about Jackrabbit here.

Follow Jackrabbit on Instagram.

Copyright ©2026 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: May 18, 2026.

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