TAKING CONTROL
Mavericks frontman says starting label lets band make music its own way
Raúl Malo is used to change. Being in the music industry for decades, it’s something he knows about too well. But there’s a recent change in Malo’s life that has him looking forward to the future.
Malo is a member of the country-rock band The Mavericks.
And recently, the Grammy-winning group is making music its own way — by setting up its own record label, Mundo Mono, and a management company.
“To have your own label and do music the way you want is scary,” he says in a recent phone interview. “On one half, you are going into uncharted territory. And on the other hand, it feels like the right thing to do. It just feels like you are in complete control of what you want to do — creatively and business-wise.”
The Mavericks released their most recent album, “Brand New Day,” earlier this year. The album was also their first studio album on the band’s imprint.
The band had been signed to MCA and then Big Machine Label Group’s Valory imprint.
Its previous albums were set on a timetable.
Yet this time, Malo and crew took about
two years to write and record “Brand New Day.”
“Some of the songs were written on the road, and we started recording at the beginning of this year,” he says. “We weren’t really worried about a timeline. It was the first time in our career that we let everything just come together.”
Malo says the writing process hasn’t really changed much over the years.
“Hopefully, the writing has gotten better,” he says with a laugh. “I think you want the process to evolve and you’re hoping that you’re getting better at your craft. Obviously, it’s a subjective thing, and I think the goal is — as far as writing — to write a good song. If you can do that and make an album out of 10 halfway decent songs, you’ve done a good job.”
The Mavericks have been touring since the album’s release in April.
He says the set list draws from the band’s entire catalog.
“It’s tough to say of how much we’re going to play, because it changes,” he says. “There’s so much material to pull from. We just get out there and have fun.”