Mahern has worked with acts such as John Mellencamp, Lily & Madeleine, The Fray, Iggy Pop, Lisa Germano, Willie Nelson, Okkervil River, Over the Rhine, Afghan Whigs, Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band, Magnolia Electric Co., Simrit, Neil Young, and Mercy Creek.
The band was known nationwide for intense live performances; their debut album Vicious Circle remains a punk-rock staple, recently had a re-release on Secretly Canadian Records.
He moved to Bloomington, Indiana and began to work with major label acts including the Blake Babies, The Judybats, and Mysteries Of Life.
He has produced and/or engineered many national and local Indiana artists' records including Afghan Whigs, Blake Babies, Lisa Germano, The Fray, Over the Rhine (band), Rev.
Their debut full-length album, Vicious Circle, was released in 1982 with its distinctive bright yellow cover on a local label, Nimrod Records.