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TAC: We love that you guys are a country-esque band from Miami! And you started off your career in a very different direction (punk alternative). What was the process like of finding the sound that works for you?

Robert Reynolds: There’s nothing like time. Time is a great teacher. If you have the liberty of time you get to try things and with each album you experiment a little and you push the boundaries a little and before you know it, with any luck at all, you begin to arrive at things that are uniquely yours and uniquely work for you and you keep those. You get rid of the things that were part of yesterday and you grasp onto things that are a part of the immediate emotion of the moment. Time is a creative contributor. A band that doesn’t get past a couple of records, how would they ever know what they are going to sound like 24 years later? This is our 24^th year together.

TAC: There have been so many artists as of late in the past couple years that have come back after a hiatus, and that’s what you guys did last year after an 8 year break. Do you think there’s a reason for this, and why was it right for you guys?

RR: I think there’s a couple of things that happen. You see some bands coming together in a purely reunion kind of format; grabbing as many original members as possible and going out and doing reunion-like circuits. Sometimes, on a summer festival, you’ll see multiple '80s rock acts together, that kind of thing. I believe that’s a different purpose of re-forming. In other cases, some rock acts take years between albums. U2 could go 4 to 6 years between records and, in a way, they’re not accused of breaking up, they’re respected for taking deliberate, necessary time. In a weird way, we never broke up. We also never gave anyone any indication that we would be doing anything together again. Not even ourselves. So ours is a unique scenario and I would just say that time was a healer. And of course the album is called In Time which means things happen in time, things heal in time, and things change in time, so I believe that time is once again the theme.

TAC: How will you make sure that that fire you feel when playing together again doesn’t fizzle out like it did around 2003?

RR: One is, with a little bit of age, you begin to realize the things that were causing you stress and we might avoid those a little better today. I believe our intention today is to work hard and to also take as many necessary breaks as possible to preserve this good energy that we’re feeling. If we can do this right, it may not take eight-year breaks between records. It might be that we take a year break, and that would be the equivalent of eight years once you have learned this great healing process and how it works. I think we’re just a little bit more guarded. We’re prepared to approach this sensitively. We were on a hamster wheel back in the ‘90s. They had us working hard because we were generating a lot of money for a lot of people beyond ourselves. So they want to keep you working; that’s the nature of the beast. We finally put our foot down and it [could have] cost us our friendships and our band entirely, but fortunately it did not. We’re deep brother-like friends and we have a band that was capable of coming back together and being fruitful.

TAC: How is the group dynamic now different than it was in the beginning?

RR: Older, wiser, kinder, gentler, softer. More musical. All those other things really do apply, but in a weird way, we know how to project our music and not let outside forces get too heavy and dictating what’s right for us. We are learning now and have learned how to guide ourselves. That’s been a big part of it.

TAC: What about touring? How has that been going this time around?

RR: It’s been fabulous. We learned a lot about touring back in the day, and of course there was a lot of money being spent and probably a lot of money being wasted. We’re a little bit more frugal, but we don’t spare any expense when it comes to presenting the music, so we’re out here on a pretty costly endeavor because we think that the audience will get the best show; nine pieces on stage, two tour buses, full production. It’s a pretty big deal, but we are more vigilant. We watch the bottom line a little bit more closely.

TAC: What can fans expect from your show here at House Of Blues on 4/19?

RR: There’s going to be a band that’s genuinely delighted to be together again. Our inter-personal relationships together on stage are generating really inspired music. There’s no 'going through the motions' aspect of it. We bring an incredible amount of energy to the stage. We sort of save it all up so that the show is first. We’re out here for making shows, not any of the other silly nonsense. We are dedicated to bringing the same energy each night. Not having two great nights, an okay night, an off night and another good night. We want every night to be fantastic. We’re genuinely really excited to be together.

TAC: Do you have any fun memories of playing in Atlantic City in previous years?

RR: I enjoy Atlantic City for a number of reasons. I saw it when I was a young guy and I was really just starting to learn to travel and I was hitting those interesting American cities and I was just fascinated with it. I enjoyed it historically and, to be honest, specific memories of Atlantic City are not many. But I believe we can correct that now! If I’m answering it honestly, we didn’t play in it enough, and I believe that it’s time to get in there and do it right so that we can start building those now.

TAC: In Time has been getting rave reviews. Favorite tracks off the album?

RR: The power of 'Come Unto Me' is just undeniable. It was recorded with such energy and it drove that track. When it appears on the stage live, it’s a fabulous energetic performance piece. I love 'Fall Apart'. There’s something kind of whimsical and ‘60s nostalgic, Herb Alpert and Tijuana brass sort of thing. I grew up on Herb Alpert’s music and the Tijuana brass because it was part of of mother’s record collection, and I feel like we kind of capture some of that. His was more often instrumental and this is obviously not, but there’s just something about the track that has that spirit, and the ballad 'In Another’s Arms', is just remarkably powerful. It works for me still. When I hear it, I still feel like it’s a beautiful recording. Great song to begin with, so I commend Raul for that, but the recording is really, really special sounding. It’s emotional, and I love that.

TAC: What are your new favorites to play on stage?

RR: A couple of those that I mentioned are easily favorites on stage. 'Come Unto Me' really does immediately resonate with the audience. I believe that 'Fall Apart' has the spirit that I find on the record shows up on stage, and that’s always nice. For the most part, the album songs that are coming to the live stage are really integrating well into our old catalogue. It’s not like we have to sprinkle them in gently because no one wants to hear the new stuff. The new stuff literally holds its own and could be the show in and of itself.

TAC: Do you have any plans as a group after this huge international tour ends?

RR: We already have some new music in us, so we’re feeling good about perpetuating this energy. I would say that our plan is to really bring this music around the world in a very deliberate process and that will take some time. Somewhere along the way, we are going to begin the process of looking at a new album. It won’t be immediately, because we are so busy, but I think it’s indicative of a band that’s ready to work.

Sounds good. These guys are legit musicians. Check out The Mavericks tomorrow at House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City at 9pm.

by jmarmo, Atlantic City Blog, April 18, 2013

Atlantic City Blog Robert Reynolds And The Mavericks Ready To Build Memories Tomorrow Night At House Of Blues, Atlantic City Jerry Dale McFadden, Eddie Perez, Paul Deakin, Robert Reynolds, Raul Malo	The Mavericks are back after an eight year hiatus and their newest album, In Time, released in February, has been receiving rave reviews. American Songwriter describes it as “as powerful and timeless as anything they have done” and the LA Times states that In Time “embodies the very best of the melting pot experience that’s the very best of the American character.” That’s right. Because The Mavericks are and have always been true to their name. You could never peg them in one hole or another. While their sound as a whole embodies country, there’s also some smooth latin in there; some pop, some Tex Mex and more. In Time is the perfect next step to their previous six albums (like From Hell To Paradise and What A Crying Shame) even with the eight-year time gap. When all is said and done, it may seem as if the more things change, the more they remain the same, because the band is back out at it on the road again for a huge international tour and are stopping here at House of Blues Atlantic City tomorrow at Showboat. We caught up with original member Robert Reynolds yesterday for a bit. See what he has to say about this reunion and more, below!
TAC: We love that you guys are a country-esque band from Miami! And you started off your career in a very different direction (punk alternative). What was the process like of finding the sound that works for you? Robert Reynolds: There’s nothing like time. Time is a great teacher. If you have the liberty of time you get to try things and with each album you experiment a little and you push the boundaries a little and before you know it, with any luck at all, you begin to arrive at things that are uniquely yours and uniquely work for you and you keep those. You get rid of the things that were part of yesterday and you grasp onto things that are a part of the immediate emotion of the moment. Time is a creative contributor. A band that doesn’t get past a couple of records, how would they ever know what they are going to sound like 24 years later? This is our 24^th year together. TAC: There have been so many artists as of late in the past couple years that have come back after a hiatus, and that’s what you guys did last year after an 8 year break. Do you think there’s a reason for this, and why was it right for you guys? RR: I think there’s a couple of things that happen. You see some bands coming together in a purely reunion kind of format; grabbing as many original members as possible and going out and doing reunion-like circuits. Sometimes, on a summer festival, you’ll see multiple '80s rock acts together, that kind of thing. I believe that’s a different purpose of re-forming. In other cases, some rock acts take years between albums. U2 could go 4 to 6 years between records and, in a way, they’re not accused of breaking up, they’re respected for taking deliberate, necessary time. In a weird way, we never broke up. We also never gave anyone any indication that we would be doing anything together again. Not even ourselves. So ours is a unique scenario and I would just say that time was a healer. And of course the album is called In Time which means things happen in time, things heal in time, and things change in time, so I believe that time is once again the theme. TAC: How will you make sure that that fire you feel when playing together again doesn’t fizzle out like it did around 2003? RR: One is, with a little bit of age, you begin to realize the things that were causing you stress and we might avoid those a little better today. I believe our intention today is to work hard and to also take as many necessary breaks as possible to preserve this good energy that we’re feeling. If we can do this right, it may not take eight-year breaks between records. It might be that we take a year break, and that would be the equivalent of eight years once you have learned this great healing process and how it works. I think we’re just a little bit more guarded. We’re prepared to approach this sensitively. We were on a hamster wheel back in the ‘90s. They had us working hard because we were generating a lot of money for a lot of people beyond ourselves. So they want to keep you working; that’s the nature of the beast. We finally put our foot down and it [could have] cost us our friendships and our band entirely, but fortunately it did not. We’re deep brother-like friends and we have a band that was capable of coming back together and being fruitful. TAC: How is the group dynamic now different than it was in the beginning? RR: Older, wiser, kinder, gentler, softer. More musical. All those other things really do apply, but in a weird way, we know how to project our music and not let outside forces get too heavy and dictating what’s right for us. We are learning now and have learned how to guide ourselves. That’s been a big part of it. TAC: What about touring? How has that been going this time around? RR: It’s been fabulous. We learned a lot about touring back in the day, and of course there was a lot of money being spent and probably a lot of money being wasted. We’re a little bit more frugal, but we don’t spare any expense when it comes to presenting the music, so we’re out here on a pretty costly endeavor because we think that the audience will get the best show; nine pieces on stage, two tour buses, full production. It’s a pretty big deal, but we are more vigilant. We watch the bottom line a little bit more closely. TAC: What can fans expect from your show here at House Of Blues on 4/19? RR: There’s going to be a band that’s genuinely delighted to be together again. Our inter-personal relationships together on stage are generating really inspired music. There’s no 'going through the motions' aspect of it. We bring an incredible amount of energy to the stage. We sort of save it all up so that the show is first. We’re out here for making shows, not any of the other silly nonsense. We are dedicated to bringing the same energy each night. Not having two great nights, an okay night, an off night and another good night. We want every night to be fantastic. We’re genuinely really excited to be together. TAC: Do you have any fun memories of playing in Atlantic City in previous years? RR: I enjoy Atlantic City for a number of reasons. I saw it when I was a young guy and I was really just starting to learn to travel and I was hitting those interesting American cities and I was just fascinated with it. I enjoyed it historically and, to be honest, specific memories of Atlantic City are not many. But I believe we can correct that now! If I’m answering it honestly, we didn’t play in it enough, and I believe that it’s time to get in there and do it right so that we can start building those now. TAC: In Time has been getting rave reviews. Favorite tracks off the album? RR: The power of 'Come Unto Me' is just undeniable. It was recorded with such energy and it drove that track. When it appears on the stage live, it’s a fabulous energetic performance piece. I love 'Fall Apart'. There’s something kind of whimsical and ‘60s nostalgic, Herb Alpert and Tijuana brass sort of thing. I grew up on Herb Alpert’s music and the Tijuana brass because it was part of of mother’s record collection, and I feel like we kind of capture some of that. His was more often instrumental and this is obviously not, but there’s just something about the track that has that spirit, and the ballad 'In Another’s Arms', is just remarkably powerful. It works for me still. When I hear it, I still feel like it’s a beautiful recording. Great song to begin with, so I commend Raul for that, but the recording is really, really special sounding. It’s emotional, and I love that. TAC: What are your new favorites to play on stage? RR: A couple of those that I mentioned are easily favorites on stage. 'Come Unto Me' really does immediately resonate with the audience. I believe that 'Fall Apart' has the spirit that I find on the record shows up on stage, and that’s always nice. For the most part, the album songs that are coming to the live stage are really integrating well into our old catalogue. It’s not like we have to sprinkle them in gently because no one wants to hear the new stuff. The new stuff literally holds its own and could be the show in and of itself. TAC: Do you have any plans as a group after this huge international tour ends? RR: We already have some new music in us, so we’re feeling good about perpetuating this energy. I would say that our plan is to really bring this music around the world in a very deliberate process and that will take some time. Somewhere along the way, we are going to begin the process of looking at a new album. It won’t be immediately, because we are so busy, but I think it’s indicative of a band that’s ready to work. Sounds good. These guys are legit musicians. Check out The Mavericks tomorrow at House of Blues at Showboat Atlantic City at 9pm. by jmarmo, Atlantic City Blog, April 18, 2013
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