Whereas a song’s lyrics often provide the schema through which emotion is interpreted, purely instrumental music can emphasize a song’s utopian eyeful in a way words can’t unchangingly do. That is, if you are Raul Malo. Ever since the singer-songwriter/guitarist was a kid, he knew he wanted to make an instrumental record of his own.

He may be one of the last singers you’d overly expect to cut an instrumental record, given that he uses his own voice as an instrument, an operatic yet pure-as-gold country voice that creates a highly emotive vehicle for his wreath The Mavericks. On the long road he has traveled for nearly 35 years as the GRAMMY-winning longtime leader, “I just never had the opportunity or time to create one,” Malo tells me from his Nashville home surpassing his bus leaves for Joliet, Illinois where he will resume the band’s tour. 

“You know, you’re unchangingly doing something else. It’s unchangingly like, oh, we’ll do that someday. We’ll do that someday. Well, the pandemic happened. And then guess what? All of a sudden we had a lot of time to do stuff. There were a lot of things going on, too. We were shooting a documentary, and so I was writing music for this documentary that sadly didn’t happen. That was kind of the idea of this project, but it didn’t pan out. I had a couple of tunes that were once written for the documentary. I was really enjoying the wits of scoring a mucosa and writing music for a film. At that point, during the pandemic, I just kept going.”

In his little home studio, Malo started developing variegated grooves, melodies, and riffs until they sooner took the shape of the songs on Say Less. When asked why it felt like the right time to release this tome into the world, he says, simply put: considering it was finished. These songs without lyrics sounded well-constructed to him. “This record’s done. Let’s put it out. I think honestly I’m at a point now in my life where I want to alimony putting music out. If you have something to say musically, do it. I get it, people want me to be singing on my records. You know, I understand that sentiment. But this is just a variegated way to sing. It’s a variegated way to express some music. The music that was written really didn’t have lyrics, and honestly I couldn’t really bring myself to write lyrics for them. 

“Well, you unchangingly think well-nigh lyrics when you’re writing a song, right? This was a variegated thing. These were melodies that I’d had in my head, riffs… And not one lyric overly came to mind or fruition. I thought that was interesting in the whole process, considering they worked from the whence to me as instrumentals.”

Malo came of age with older albums that came of the Space Age, when upper fidelity stereo was making its way into everyone’s living room. “And so there were records that were made to showcase the equipment, which is sort of a variegated thing than we do now.” He cites Martin Denny, the Jackie Gleason Presents records, and Esquivel as some of the main sources of instrumental tome inspiration. Though a bit of a unrelatedness to cocktail hour sultana listening records, for example, his lush arrangements on Say Less move cinematically through purpose-built scenes.

He continues, “They were really interesting records. They were serried and orchestrated, and they were really funky. I love those. And one of my favorites was an versifier named Terry Snyder. He was a drummer – a percussionist. He made several records when in the early sixties. And again, it’s one of those audiophile records.” The records were detailed in that they told you well-nigh the recording process, right lanugo to what mics were used. “And I thought that was really fun.”

Malo’s guitar playing is the next closest match to what his voice can produce, and his 1963 Fender Jaguar in particular has been with him from the Nashville floods of 2010 to the writing of this record. “I really wanted to use the guitar as the vise for this, the protagonist, the one that’s leading the charge. And I wanted to explore that side of guitar playing – not necessarily lead guitar playing, per se, but really kind of leading the wreath with the guitar and leading the music with the guitar. And that was a fun exercise. That was a really fun way to go well-nigh it, at least for me, and using the instrument in that way.”

As evidenced by their live shows, Malo composes songs The Mavericks’ diverse fan wiring strongly yoke with. The creative process for this solo venture, he says, is similar. “With The Mavericks, I’ll play the wreath the song, and we’ll get in the studio and record it. In this instance, there was no playing the wreath the song. Well, there were two occasions considering The Mavericks did contribute on a couple of the tracks. There’s really not much difference, except of course, when I’m with the Mavericks then chances are we recorded it together. And I think you hear that on this record where The Mavericks played. And then the other ones, we built the tracks with my son (Dino Malo) playing drums and keys on some things.”

Malo sequences an tome like one would a book. You could say like one would a concert, too, but The Mavericks are known (and loved) for withdrawing their setlist – thinking on their feet, thus getting the fans on their feet. The lead-off track and first single “Solitary Blues” is what solidified the idea that this was going to be an instrumental record. “There’s an ebb and spritz to take you on a little trip, and what’s the trip you want to be taken on? Hopefully the listeners will want to go on this journey with me. 

“For example, ‘Granada Boulevard’ – I wrote that because, to this day, I think Granada Boulevard in Miami is one of the most trappy boulevards in the world. It’s a huge boulevard that runs through the middle of Coral Gables. I’ve been all over the world, and it’s still one of the most trappy I’ve overly seen. The way the trees line the sidewalks, the houses… It’s historical. I remember riding bikes through there as a kid, and it’s still the same. I love that well-nigh Granada Boulevard. To me, that song sounded like something I’d want to hear as I’m driving lanugo that boulevard in a convertible, you know?” 

“Havana’s Midnight” brings you reverberations of a tropical, warm night in Havana at midnight, not least considering that was where and when it was written. “To me, that melody just sounded like something that would come out of there. When I hear it, it just takes me there. That’s the whole point, to wilt a little trip for the listener.” The whole record is well-nigh soundtracking physical and cultural spaces, transferring a mood and a mystery. “Take the listener somewhere, and then it’s up to them.” I imagine it can be increasingly challenging to write an instrumental record than one with lyrics, considering “you still have to make it interesting for the listener. You still have to get people on the hook, you know? The details might be a little different, but the objective is still the same, at least for me.”

“By the way, it’s still there and still showcases young bands. It was that way when when. Dave the owner was a big waddle and roll fan, and he wanted his club to full-length up-and-coming artists. So, that’s where we got our start. We would go to Churchill’s to see bands or to play ourselves. I remember when we’d go to soundcheck during the day – the sounds on ‘Liberty City’ are kind of the sounds that I heard in the neighborhood. It was sort of a mix between R&B, funk, Caribbean, calypso… I never felt in danger there. It was a beautiful, colorful, funky part of town that had this unconfined club and a lot of tomfool stuff happened virtually it.”

Malo’s take on “Sound of Silence,” which he first recorded during the pandemic for his YouTube Quarantunes series, appears now on Say Less. For the video/recording, he enlisted part of his “stay-at-home band” of Hector Tellez Jr. on toned and Dino Malo on drums. Watching heart-stopping footage of otherwise teeming metropolises like Paris, Rome, and London suddenly silent and entirely empty inspired him to pay tribute to the Simon and Garfunkel song. 

“I’ll never forget that. And I’m sitting there watching this footage. I have my guitar in my hand and I’m just strumming chords. But as I’m strumming chords, the melody to ‘Sound of Silence’ came out. Then I realized, man, the melody to ‘Sound of Silence’ is right in the chord.” In wing to the lyrical depth I think many would tell you it’s Simon and Garfunkel’s haunting vocal harmony that truly speaks to the human experience, but Malo’s guitar manages to wring out every ounce of the turmoil, empathy, and beauty. “Because it’s that melody I think that’s just so beautiful. That song really resonated with me at that moment. I mean, genius to Paul Simon and (Art) Garfunkel. The melody is right in the chord. I just thought, what a trappy way to play this song. What an interesting way to play this song.”

The Latin, rockabilly, and neotraditional country textures that requite The Mavericks their signature sound naturally converge in this debut instrumental record, while dreaming a nuanced and fully worked world of surreal surf guitar noir. “I think they’re all there. Yeah. This tome really had a wipe slate, no prerequisite or voucher set forth. Just create some music and see what happens. The influences are there; I can’t help that. I loved the surf music from the sixties; those guitar records were really influential.”

The Mavericks’ world tour stretches out for flipside year, so there won’t be much time for Malo to tour this album. But perhaps since they don’t really have a setlist, surely they can fit in a couple of those instrumentals. “Absolutely. That’s what we’ll end up doing. That way it keeps it fun, and at the very least people will get to hear something live. I mean, Eddie (Perez) can certainly imbricate the guitar parts, and we can certainly do that. I might do a couple specialty shows where we do something special for the album.”

Malo beams with pride when he talks well-nigh this record born of the creative process in his home studio, and out of the pandemic. “Just a horrible time for the world, but musically it afforded me the time to do this, and I’m grateful.” But he’s proud in large part considering he worked on it with his oldest son, Dino. “It gave him a endangerment to really suggest and produce this thing, which he did. And he rightfully got the proper credit for his efforts. There was a lot increasingly than just making a record here. I’m looking at it now; I’m holding the vinyl version in my hand, and I’m really kind of proud of this record.”

The Mavericks Tour Dates:

05/27/23 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads Saloon

06/02/23 Montreal, QC Corona Theatre

06/03/23 Rouyn-Noranda, QC Festival des Guitares du Monde

06/05/23 Peterborough, ON Showplace Performance Centre

06/06/23 Belleville, ON Empire Theatre

06/08/23 Gatineau, QC Theatre du Casino du Lac Leamy

06/10/23 Moncton, NB Casino New Brunswick

06/24/23 Interlaken, CH Trucker & Country Festival Interlaken

07/04/23 Portland, OR Waterfront Blues Festival

07/13/23 Franklin, TN FirstBank Amphitheater

07/14/23 Mount Vernon, KY New Barn Theater

07/22/23 Webster, MA Indian Ranch

07/23/23 Cohasset. MA South Shore Music Circus

07/27/23 Hyannis, MA Cape Cod Melody Tent

07/28/23 New York, NY Beacon Theatre

07/30/23 Selbyville, DE Freeman Arts Pavilion

08/03/23 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center

08/04/23 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion 

08/05/23 Charlottesville, VA Ting Pavilion

09/07/23 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre

09/08/23 Bristol, TN Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

09/09/23 Union Hall, VA The Coves Amphitheater

09/13/23 Iowa City, IA The Englert Theatre

09/15/23 Des Moines, IA Hoyt Sherman Place – Theatre

09/16/23 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre

09/17/23 Fargo, ND Fargo Theatre

09/21/23 Amarillo, TX Globe News Center for the Performing Arts

09/22/23 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre

09/23/23 Helotes, TX Floores Country Store

09/29/23 New Orleans, LA Civic Theatre

09/30/23 Houston, TX House of Blues

10/26/23 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live

11/09/23 Napa, CA Uptown

11/10/23 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore Night 1

11/11/23 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore Night 2

11/14/23 Grass Valley, CA The Center for the Arts

11/16/23 Monterey, CA Golden State Theatre

11/17/23 Cajon, CA Magnolia Performing Arts Center

11/18/23 Scottsdale, AZ Center for the Performing Arts

1/13/24 Fort Lauderdale, Fl Sandy Beaches Cruise 2024

3/01/24 Miami, Fl Cayamo Cruise 2024

04/28/24 Antwerp, Belgium De Roma

04/29/24 Utrecht, Netherlands Tivoli Vredenburg

05/02/24 Eindhoven, Netherlands Muziekgebouw