Fresh from recording a new record, Reckless Kelly performs in Texarkana tonight at the Texas-side venue Scottie's Grill.
Known for their uncompromising commitment to quality songwriting, Reckless Kelly aims to release that ninth studio album in September. Led by brothers Willy and Cody Braun, this Texas country and Americana band originally formed in the Northwest, only to relocate to Austin roughly two decades ago.
"Sunset Motel" will serve as the follow-up album to "Long Night Moon," which proved popular for the band. That album, said Willy, had pretty good legs to it so they rode it a bit longer than usual.
"It was a little bit different for us. It was kind of a concept record," Braun recalled. They had extra time to write and perfect it, and that work paid off for an album with a central theme of traveling. It was a bit mellower than their usual musical fare.
Look for "Sunset Motel" to be a more rocking recording, says Braun, with a grungier sound to it. You'll hear some elements of strings and of country to it, however.
Lyrically, it will be all over the place, Braun explaining that the last one was such a concept album that he didn't want the same approach with this release. They had a large batch of songs to work with for this next album, paring it down to 13 from 20.
"It's a good problem to have," Braun said about having too many songs.
Reckless Kelly members have played together so long now that it just gets easier to make a recording, says the vocalist and guitarist. That's an advantage. The musicians, who've all been in the band for a while now, know their roles.
"I think the fans appreciate the dedication we put into making records," Braun said. The music always comes first. That's more important than selling more records.
"Number one for us is always writing good songs," Braun said. They don't like to compromise, and he believes their fans respect this approach.
At tonight's concert, you can expect to hear perhaps a couple songs from the next album. "We'll throw in one or two just to kind of tease them a little bit," Braun said. But folks haven't heard the new album yet, so it won't dominate the show.
Reckless Kelly are known for a passionate stage shows. They switch up the set list from night to night, too. As a band, they rely on live concerts to keep themselves afloat. Fans never know exactly what to expect, so they keep coming back for more.
"Live music has always been our bread and butter," Braun said.
To catch Reckless Kelly live, get down to Scottie's Grill tonight.
(Tickets: $25 for reserved seats, $15 for advanced general admission. Show starts at 8:30 p.m. with doors open at 7 p.m. Scottie's Grill is located at 8400 W. 7th St. Tickets available at OuthouseTickets.com. More info: 903-838-4745.)