Thanks Robert and Lynne
Submitted by Nicholas, North Riverside, Illinois
Q. My first question relates to the lack
of support from country music
television and country radio in general.
I hardly see your videos on
television and when I call my local country
station, they basically laugh at
me. What's your response on this?
A: Nicholas, that's been one of the big
problems with the Mavericks and
country radio. We are not a perfect
fit for their programming, they have
their own agenda and we don't necessarily
factor in. We hope to solve the
problem by going to a label in NY or LA and
promoting the band as an American
music act. And it may require that you
tune into different stations in order
to hear us at some point in the future.
It may require tuning into an
Americana station, it may require buying the
records and not expecting much
from radio. With the nature of radio
changing, it may not be long before
every house is outfitted with satellite-type
radio. At that point, you will
probably see, as I have, a lot more Mavericks
music programmed within those
stations.
Q. Why the lack of push from your
labels? Why won't they support you?
Does this mean that the Mavericks are splitting
up? Or does this mean you
guys will release something independently,
a la the first Mavs release?
A: We won't necessarily go independent.
We'll look to find a label that
understands us a little better than the labels
we've had in the past couple
of years. We had a great run of things
with MCA during the mid-90's, so I
can't say we lacked support from them completely.
It's just that sometimes
within labels you have certain key people
who are supporters of an act and
get a lot done. If they leave the label,
the nature of your relationship
with the label can change. So I really
think that what we're looking for is
a label that is supportive. It most
likely will not be a Nashville-based
label. And none of this means that the
band is splitting up. Labels don't
really control the inner workings of our partnership.
Q. My last request has to deal with Mavericks
acoustic recordings and live
recordings. Especially your Royal Albert
Hall Concerts. How can I obtain
recordings such as this?
A: Regarding bootlegs, I like them personally.
I think live recordings
done by fans for the most part have very little
to do with cutting into sales
of your studio recorded albums. For
example, I think it's great the way
Grateful Dead fans have exchanged live concert
recordings over the years.
The bootlegging of studio albums to me is
an absolute no-no. It's obviously
illegal and it does very directly affect the
way a band makes its living.
But as far as trading live tapes, I rather
fancy it myself and I know they
exist. So I know they're out there.
Find fellow fans that have those kind
of recordings and trade and enjoy.
(closing comment) And if you are ever
in Chicago, look my wife and I up.
She is a Mavericks convert and she will cook
you guys the best Italian dinner
you ever had.
Robert's Reply: Nicholas, I LOVE Italian…so be careful what you wish for!
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Submitted by Fiona from Scotland
Q. On a day when you're not working what is your favourite way to chill out?
A: Fiona, I don't know how I lived
for seven years without a pool.
There's nothing like being in the water.
As I answer this question, I'm in
the pool and that perhaps answers the question
best. A literal chilling out.
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Submitted by Jason & Russ
Q: We were wondering if you were ever
going to make it out towards the
Western United States...specifically Colorado.
Any tour dates in the near
future out here?
A: Jason and Russ, we love Colorado
and we've always loved playing
Colorado. As for upcoming dates, we
have nothing booked right now until we
sort out some record company business, and
just hope that Colorado will be on
the first of those tour dates that we do plan.
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Submitted by Mary Lou from Connecticut
Q: In what musical
direction (style) would you like to go with your next
album/record, and when will you & the
guys start working on it? Is there a
chance you would include more vocals for yourself?
A: Mary Lou, I wouldn't mind personally
a "part two" to TRAMPOLINE --another
effort in that sort of direction would work
well for me. I am open to
experimenting more with horns or other unusual
instrumentation. Whatever
record label we end up signing with, I would
like that they be more
understanding of our eagerness to experiment
musically.
Regarding my singing, the Mavericks I think
are primarily known for having
Raul as the lead singer, with his voice being
the consistent element of the
Mavericks' sound. I'm not at all at
odds with that. It's really hard to
compare much of anything to Raul's voice;
it's really a special voice. I know
for a fact that I'm working with one of the
best singers in the business, and
that's a great thing. As for me doing
singing and stuff like that, that's
why I have bands like SWAG and side projects
like I'm doing with Kevin
Montgomery. That's why they serve
such a great purpose. I have the best of
both worlds.
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Submitted by Kelly
Q: What made you decide that you wanted a career in the music business?
A: Well, jokingly I can say
because I didn't think I could do anything
else as well. But I guess the truth
is some people just know that they're
going to do some form of entertaining from
a very young age. I think my
folks knew immediately that I wanted to entertain
because I was doing it
since I was young. As far as music goes,
by the time I was a teenager I was
playing a little guitar and thinking, "wouldn't
it be the life to be one of
the Beatles or something?" So it went
from there. I would hope that if I
weren't in music, I would be doing something
with commercial art or graphic
art.
Q: Also I just want to know, do you write with your left or right hand?
A: I write with my left hand.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Lisa
Q: When are The Mavericks coming back to the UK?
A: As for the Mavericks getting back
to the UK, like anything else Maverick
related, it's going to depend very much on
a record deal and a new album.
But contrary to speculation, even if we take
an extended break, it doesn't
mean that we're breaking up. For
us, the time off is important. There's
the odd chance of course that something would
come up and we'd be back in
England on some kind of specialty tour.
But there's nothing on the books.
Q: How is Paul?
A: Paul is fine, Paul's great.
He played really well at the Gorge [opening
for the Dave Matthews Band]. He's in
great shape.
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No Name was submitted with the following questions:
Q: Do you plan on touring anytime soon with/without the mavericks?
A: I plan on touring with
Kevin Montgomery in the UK in August/September,
which is very important to me. We would
like to do something similar in the
US, if we can get some interest. I've
just heard from a friend who works
with me in SWAG, and he's talking about going
to Spain sometime in the first
part of the new year. So, I will be
out playing, both with and without The
Mavericks, and hopefully, we'll see the Mavericks
again soon.
Q: What happened to Jerry Dale McFadden?
A: Well, Jerry Dale has been touring
and recording with Sixpence None The
Richer, and he's still very much a part of
the SWAG lineup. We've just
finished an album together, and we hope that
within a week or two we'll
finish the actual signing of a record deal.
He was obviously one of the very
special members of The Mavericks, and will
not really be replaced, not for
his contribution. There may always be
a piano player, but I think Jerry Dale
did what only Jerry Dale can do.
Q: Which label will the Mavericks be signing with next?
A: That's a great mystery, and if you have any ideas, let me know!
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Submitted by Karen
Q: This is actually more of a request
but I wonder if The Mavericks can do a
show in San Francisco during their next tour.
A: Karen, I don't always
have control over where we do our shows. The
Mavericks love San Francisco. We've
played the Great American Music Hall,
we've played the Filmore, and we've played
Concord Pavillion outside the
city. So I think there's a greater chance
than not that we will play San
Francisco on our next tour because it is a
favorite city. I expect we will
be back in San Fran, so don't worry!
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Submitted by Michelle & Rob
Q: Robert, we read that you like
backpacking. Have you done this in the UK
and if so what were your favourite walks?
Have you seen the Yorkshire Dales?
A: Michelle & Rob, my backpacking
usually consists of going city to city. I
haven't done any of the walks per se.
I would like to do the West Highland
Way in Scotland. Most of my backpacking
trips have been more city to city
throughout the UK & Europe, trains and
ferries and so forth. It's not as
much a nature-type, hiking kind of backpacking,
but a more city to city sort
of thing.
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Submitted by Saskia
Q: Do you like horses and have
you ever ridden on a Western Ranch? - It
sounds like fun and I want to do it!!
A: Saskia, I do love horses. I
once owned a couple of horses. I don’t
consider myself a very developed rider.
I didn’t have any training per se.
But I do love horses and it's something I'd
like to do again in my life.
Yes, I've ridden on a ranch in Montana once.
It was quite nice.
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Submitted by Jacky
Q: I understand you are artistically
talented. When you have time to paint
or draw, what would you say is your favourite
medium to work with -
watercolour, pastel, etc? And what are your
favourite subjects to study?
A: Jacky, my favorite up to now is water
colors, pen & ink, that kind of
thing. But I have this burning desire
to try something like oils or acrylic
and I think I'll do it eventually, maybe during
this time off.
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Submitted by Diane
Q: I love the Mavericks. Are they coming out with new records soon?
A: Diane, The Mavericks are on
an extended break. The first new music you
will hear will most likely be a variety of
solo projects, but we'll keep you
posted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Rachel
Q: Is it true that you and your bandmates are breaking up?
A: Rachel, It seems like every time we
take a break someone turns it into
breaking up. The Mavericks are still
together and just taking a little time
off.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted From Lowerstoke, Coventry (no name given)
Q: Are there any future dates
for concerts in the UK at the NEC or NIA? I
missed you when you were here last time.
A: There are no dates scheduled for the
UK at this time. As it now stands,
the next tour would follow the recording of
a new album. Stay tuned!
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Submitted by Shaz
Q: I'm a big fan of the Mavericks and
of Ethan Allen & was wondering if you
could tell me any more about your clip on
the Mavs message board - I would be
very grateful with anything you could fill
me in with.
A: Shaz, Ethan and the Mavericks
have been friends now for several years.
Raul has been helping Ethan with his current
album project.
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Submitted by Amanda
Q: I'd like to know how he got
sooooooooo darn cute. Plus if he knew
anyone who was willing to give me a record
contract. I thought that when
watching him play he had the guitar strap
on his right shoulder, but he's
playing right-handed bass even though he is
left-handed. Doesn't that make
it that much more difficult?
A: Amanda, flattery will get you everywhere
and get your questions answered.
As for playing right-handed, I guess
I'm a strange bird. I write left
handed and eat left handed, but I throw right
handed, and God forbid I should
have to hit somebody, I'd do that right handed
as well. I think they call
this "confused."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Tracey
Q: Are there any plans for the Mavericks
to be touring the UK, visiting
Birmingham especially?
A: Tracey, there are no Maverick plans
for the UK at this time, but as you
may know, Paul and I will be touring there
August 26 through September 11
with Kevin Montgomery.
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Submitted by Maria, Long Beach, CA
Q: So glad you are getting more involved
with the US Fan Club. I tried to
join in February of 2000 and sent in my check
# 6665 in the amount of $12.00
but it has never been cashed. I would
very much like to join the fan club.
Shall I send a new check and stop payment on
the other one or what? Please
let me know.
A: Maria, before you stop payment on
the check, please allow me to look into
the matter. Email me in care of mavfanclub@aol.com,
so that I might be able
to respond.
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Submitted by Susan
Q: I am going to see you and Paul when
you are with Kevin Montgomery at the
Borderline in London. Are you going to perform
some of your own work or will
you just be backing Kevin?
A: Susan, we will mostly be doing songs
from Kevin's current album,
sprinkled with a few collective favorites
that might include a song of two of
my own.
Q: I know the Mavericks aren't working
much this year but I am visiting
Nashville in the middle of November and was
wondering if as individuals you
will be performing in Nashville at that time.
A: It is very possible that one
or all of us will be doing something in
Nashville this November. Check with the fan
club before you travel.
Q: Lastly, I know it is early days but
will the Mavericks be touring England
again next year?
A: There are no plans at this time for a 2001
tour of the UK with the
Mavericks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Laura
Q: Please ask Robert when he'll be playing
in Nashville next...whether with
The Mavericks or another band...aside from
Aug. 13 with Kevin
Montgomery.
A: Laura, I hope to be playing some time
this fall with both SWAG and/or
Kevin Montgomery; however, there are no dates
scheduled at this time.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Laura
I've got a question for you to ask Robert.
Who are some of his favorite
bands? Local & national.
A: Laura, a few of my favorite bands:
the Jayhawks, Wilco, Ron Sexsmith, a
Nashville artist by the name of Jason White,
and my all-time favorite, The
Beatles.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Lynn
Q: How has writing/performing children's
music (meaning for children's
films) affected your songwriting in the "traditional"
sense? (are you willing
to take more chances, have you gotten more
experimental with your approach to
your traditional songwriting methods, etc.)?
A: Lynn, this is a kind of chicken before
the egg question - I'm not sure if
writing children's songs affects my "traditional"
writing or the other way
around. Either way, the end result should
be similar - a memorable song. I
will say, the children projects are extremely
fun to approach.
Q: I'd also like to know how your grandmother
is. She was such a delight
when we met her at Foxwoods back in 1998.
Is she doing well these days?
A: As for my grandmother, she is as delightful
as ever. I've been visiting
her roughly once a month and she's quite a
handful.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Paul
Q: Does the band have any plans to release
the filming of the Trampoline
recording sessions on video?
A: Paul, good question. There are
no plans at this time to release a film
of the making of "Trampoline." Though
I have great interest in finishing
that project some day.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several Questions Submitted by Chris from Australia
With respect to the recent departure from Mercury-Nashville
in search of a
new label "more capable of promoting the music
The Mavericks will be
continuing to make".
Q: Does this mean that The Mavericks
have some idea what the next album will
be like. Have new songs already been
previewed within the band? (i.e. will
it be closer to the White Album or Abbey Road?)
A: Chris, I would say there is
no real idea at this time as to what the
next Maverick album will sound like, but the
title might be "White Abbey."
Sound good to you?
Q: When is Ken Coomer gonna drag Billy Bragg
into one of SWAG's recording
sessions?
A: That's a great idea. Billy Bragg does SWAG.
Q: The perrenial favourite! - What records
have you been listening to
lately?
A: My latest fav records: "Smile"
by the Jayhawks, and an independent
release from Nashville titled "Shades of Gray"
by Jason White. I highly
recommend you look into this one.
Q: And I won't ask when are The Mavericks
going to find out how much the sun
shines and how good the wines are in Australia?
A: It is one of my biggest regrets
that the Mavericks have not been to
Australia yet. We need to fix that one.
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Submitted by Daisy from Belgium
Q: I know you write songs
but have you ever thought
of singing them yourself and putting them
on an album?
A: Daisy, I do sing many of the
songs I write in my band SWAG, as well as
some other material I am involved in.
Q: Also, whatever happened to all the
filming material that was used during
the making of Trampoline. Do we ever
get to see a video of it?
A: The film from "Trampoline" is
as of yet unreleased, but I still have
high hopes.
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Submitted by Susanna from Connecticut
Q: Gosh we really miss you guys here
in Connecticut. I know that you have
been really busy and have no plans to tour
with The Mavericks (at least in
our area) at present, but was wondering what
the future holds. Are you guys
going to work on a new CD?
A: Susanna, we do plan on working on
a new album, but our priority now is to
finish up some solo projects. Each of
the Mavericks have been enjoying some
outside work and I think it brings a lot back
into the group.
P.S. Say hello to your daughter.
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Submitted by Magda from The Netherlands
Q: Are you coming to The Netherlands
on your tour with Kevin Montgomery and
Pettibone?. I would like to see you
guys!
A: Magda, I don't think the Netherlands
will be on MY tour plans with Kevin,
but I know he would like to get there this
year. As for the future, I hope
we can go together.
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Submitted by Helen
Q: Can you tell me how many videos the
Mavericks have out for TV - I have
taped about 10 so far.
A: Helen, I believe we have shot 15 or 16 videos by now.
Q: Will I eventually be able to join the UK fan club?
A: I would hope that you would be able
to join the UK fan club or the US fan
club once it gets back up and running.
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Ten questions submitted by Eric :
Q: What record [song-wise] do you
really miss in your collection, and
if someone out there had it, would you drive
hundreds of miles to
obtain it? Not necessarily an original,
but a copy of.
A: Eric, I can't think of a song missing
from my collection, though I'm sure
there must be one.
Q: If you could contract a painter to
create a Mavericks album cover,
which one would you choose [Painter: dead
or alive]?
A: I would love to have an album cover painted by Vincent van Gough.
Q: I once read in an interview with Don
Cook that he was not really fond
of working with The Mavericks before he actually
met you guys (I think
over a dinner or something) - but he found
a lot of similarities in your
approach to making music. What was your
approach to Don before you
met him; for instance, by judging what he
did with other artists.
A: I personally wasn't sure about working
with Don Cook before meeting him,
but I must say it worked well for us.
As for the future, I'm ready for a
change.
Q: Besides the 20 or 30 minute videotape,
are there any plans
to release more Trampoline video material?
A: No plans at this time to release more
footage from the "Trampoline"
sessions.
Q: Is there a song you put out
either on single or album that you
personally think of as "it's a shame that
didn't become a hit,
it deserved it"?
A: There are a few regrets regarding
singles that didn't work, but mostly I
must say I am pleased.
Q: If, for some reason, you had
to choose between making music
yourself or listening to music from others,
which would it be?
A: I'm very fond of the innocent days
before I was in the music business and
I could listen to the magic of music.
Q: What's the best videoclip you've ever seen? (And why?)
A: Difficult question - maybe Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 You."
Q: What do think of:
- Nashville [As a place to live]?
- Nashville [As a place to work/make music]?
- American food?
- Big record companies?
- The US TV and Radio stations?
A: I've really come to love Nashville
for work and home. As for American
food, there is both good and bad. I
like some of each.
Q: Which would you prefer:
- 5 nights in the Royal Albert Hall or one
afternoon in front of 100000
people in Hyde Park?
- Success based on talent or on 10 years of
hard work?
- John [Lennon] or Paul [McCartney] ?
- These kind of interviews with fans or with
big magazines/
radio/TV-shows?
- Having success as a solo-artist or in a
band?
A: I like a variety of venues and
playing for both large and small
audiences. I favor John Lennon and I've
always loved being in a band.
Q: When the Mavericks are going to record
a new album, would you be
willing to keep a kind of diary of what's
happening at particular
moments (either starting from the first meeting
to write/gather
songs or during the recording itself) to be
publicised on the
Mavhouse?
A: I've always kept a diary through the
making of most of our albums. Yes, I
could imagine publishing them.
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Submitted by Paul
Q: Here are a couple of very important
questions we guys inevitably ask each
other after a few beers, when conversation
turns to popular television shows
of the 1960's:
Ginger or Mary Ann?
Jeannie or Samantha?
Bille Jo, Betty Jo or Bobbi Jo?
Batgirl or Catwoman?
Marcia Brady or Laurie Partridge?
A: Paul, Good questions - Mary Ann; Samantha;
Billie Jo, Betty Jo & Bobbi Jo
all at once; Batgirl (I love Bats); Laurie
Patridge
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Submitted by Michael & Elain, Arizona
Q: My husband and I are big fans of the
Mavericks. We are also big, big
fans of Marty Robbins and thought that if
you were going to occasionally do
remakes of some of the old songs, that would
be a great place to look. Have
you guys considered Marty Robbins? We
would be thrilled to have our 2
favorites in one package.
A: Michael & Elain, we have covered
a few Marty Robbins songs in concert.
We love Marty too.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Submitted by Johnny
Q: It is easy to forget how
much work is already done when you get up on
the stage. You told us that "It's gonna
take a lot of effort to fire up the
whole organization just for these few shows"
when talking about Dave
Matthews, so my question is: how many people
does it actually take?
A: Johnny, the Mavericks usually travel
in and around 10 to 15 people. That
is the band and crew.
Q: Have you signed a new contract yet?
If so - with which company?
Are there any artists you, individually, will
record albums with while
the next Mavericks album is on the stove?
Will you move over to the pop/rock
world?
A: We are still shopping for a new record
deal. As you probably already
know, I have a side project called SWAG with
Ken Coomer from Wilco and Tom
Petersson from Cheap Trick, among others.
What is the pop/rock world anymore?
Q: Does the band feel it needs, musically,
a turning point or will you keep
on going knowing the rest of the business
will catch up on you occasionally?
A: I think the Mavericks should go on
just being the Mavericks and let the
musical chips fall where they may.
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a BIG thanks to Robert and also to Lynne for putting it together