It’s Now or Never for The Mavericks
Mavericks back with new album Brand New Day
Raul Malo and Paul Deakin founded the Mavericks over 25 years ago as a standout alternative band in a Miami rock scene dominated by hair metal and punk. Their blend of Cuban grooves and Bakersfield-inspired twang netted them several CMA and ACM Awards plus a Grammy Award in 1995. They charted numerous singles and albums all while earning accolades as one of the finest live bands in the entertainment business. There was some time off and adding personnel, but they came back strong with 2013’s In Time and 2015’s Mono, albums that provided abundant material for a refreshed and unmatched stage show.
Their latest album, Brand New Day, features the core members of the group since their reformation: Malo, Deakin, guitarist Eddie Perez, and keyboardist Jerry Dale McFadden, along with auxiliary members “the Fantastic Four” filling out the set’s brawny sound with their signature accordion and horns.
The group’s first studio album on their own label, Brand New Day flexes the category-defying approach that has been a unique hallmark of the Mavericks’ sound since the band’s top-20 hits on the country charts. The album’s 10 new songs seamlessly merge strains of Tex-Mex, Cuban bolero, R&B, blues, country, and rock ‘n’ roll.
Malo says that one of his early inspirations, Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never,” not only continues to drive his vision of the Mavericks’ music but also helped define the process of creating the unit’s first studio release on their own.
“My whole life, I’ve been wanting to write ‘It’s Now or Never’,” Malo says. “That was the record for me when I was a kid. That just blew my mind. It connected all these worlds musically, opera, pop, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B. It connected everything for me. The inspiration here was writing that kind of song, making that kind of record.”
Malo sees the expansive music on Brand New Day not merely as an expression of his personal roots, but also as a nod to the richness of their artistic sources.
He says, “I live in Nashville, but I’m still as Cuban as if I was in Miami. But American music is such a beautiful landscape, and there are so many things to draw from. As a Latino, you’re trying to assimilate into this culture, and you’re taking it all in, and some of it grabs you by the throat and you can’t let go of it. All of it is part of your vocabulary. It’s all Americana, and now more than ever those differences, and that inclusion, need to be celebrated and need to be talked about.”
Over 25 years in the making, The Mavericks have now come back to push the boundaries of music. Order your tickets now to catch the Mavericks at the Centre In The Square on Monday, October 30th.
