Granted, I never heard of the Austin-based outfit known as Reckless Kelly until 2011, and as a music scribe who hails from Texas, initially I was surprised I’d never come across the lineup in all my years of clubgoing in the name of new music, especially that which springs forth from the Lone Star State.
After a bit of research, however, I learned that Reckless Kelly—whose founders’ come from Oregon and Idaho--planted its boots in Texas after I had left to make my home in Music City. And admittedly, with that mystery revealed, I felt better about my early years of music reporting, because I couldn’t have come across them on the Texas club circuit when I was residing in Nashville. Thus, with that clarification in mind--and after spending time with their freshest music--I owe these boys some ink, albeit of the online persuasion.
Reckless Kelly's Musical Roots: From Western-swing to Rock 'n' Roll
Still based in Texas these days, the Reckless Kelly lineup traces its roots back to brothers Willy and Cody Braun who, per their artist bio, “paired their state-required education with a musical school of learning taught by their father.” They did their time on the regional circuit playing Western-swing during this time, and even made it to play on the Grand Ole Opry and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
By the time they hit their teens, however, the Braun brothers had discovered rock ‘n’ roll, and like many a lifelong musician, they formed their own rock outfit in high school before ultimately opting to bid Oregon farewell and choosing the eclectic-music mecca of Austin as their newfound home.
Per the act’s bio, the players went from being “weaned on monthly gigs in the few venues” that their Oregon hometown had to offer, to the seven-nights-a-week gigs that Austin boasted, and the change “created a whiplash effect.”
The Braun brothers responded by taking full advantage of the scene’s plentiful stages and worked hard to forge Reckless Kelly’s musical identity, and along the way, they rounded out their ranks with drummer Jay Nazz, guitarist David Abeyta and bassist Jimmy McFeeley.
Austin-based Reckless Kelly Finds Chart Success, Critical Acclaim
These days, the lineup is touring in support of its seventh studio CD, Good Luck & Good Love, which derives its name from the CD's first single. Released in September 2011 on the act’s newly formed No Big Deal Records label, the effort also marks the bandmates’ first studio album of all-new material since 2008’s Bulletproof and it’s the follow-up to their 2010 release, Somewhere In Time, which was an homage to honky-tonker Pinto Bennett, one of their songwriter heroes.
Although critical success found the band relatively early, the quintet also notched noteworthy chart action with their last two albums, Bulletproof and Somewhere In Time, both of which reached the No. 5 position on Billboard’s "Heatseekers" chart and climbed into the top 20 on the Americana charts. The latter album, in fact, was voted the No. 10 best album of the year by the Americana Music Association in 2010.
Reckless Kelly Produces, Releases 'Good Luck & True Love' CD
While Reckless Kelly has always played by its own rules, choosing to ride the country-meets-rock musical seesaw, their latest album continues in the group’s self-appointed tradition of making each new record better than the last. Braun brother Willy penned/co-penned all of the disc’s tracks, sans one, and the album, which features minimal overdubs and songs that were tracked live, was self-produced this time around and recorded in an Austin farmhouse-turned-studio.
As for the decision to cut the album live, “We wanted to make a record that sounded like we sound live, without any extra parts thrown in. We wanted it to sound like a band,” said fiddle/mandolin player Cody Braun via the act’s website. “Keeping it all in the same space and making sure it was an album rather than just a collection of songs was the main goal, and I think we came pretty close to what we set out to do. ..."
Country-Rock Band's CD Yields 2011 Grammy Nod for Inspired Album Artwork
In short, the 10-track offering, with its 2011 Grammy-nominated, elaborate fortune teller/roulette wheel packaging, is a hands-down winner for those who find favor with Red Dirt-styled country that’s raw around the edges and brimming with lyrical truths--from road songs such as “Hit the Ground Running” and “Weatherbeaten Soul,” to can’t-go-wrong tunes about heartbreak, including the acoustic-laden “I Never Liked St. Valentine,” “Guarded Heart” and the drum-pounding, guitar-driven “She Likes Money, He Likes Love.”
Moreover, the jangle-rich Good Luck & True Love comes across as a cohesive project, not merely a hodgepodge of tracks that the players tossed together so they’d have new musical wares to peddle to live-show crowds. And all and all, for those who find favor with rock-infused country, such as that which Steve Earle and, say, Wade Bowen are naturals at producing, Reckless Kelly is a good bet.
Comparisons aside, however, make no mistake, for the Wurlitzer/mandolin/bouzouki-sporting RK players, with 15-plus years of hard road time and life lessons under their belts, boast a pure sound that’s all their own. Good Luck & Good Love, in turn, is the latest fiddle-peppered, twang-steeped confession from a collective musical soul that brims with passion and promise.
To learn more about Reckless Kelly, including tour dates, please access its official website via this link.
Lisa L. Rollins - Texas native Lisa L. Rollins, Ph.D., is an award-winning feature writer, interviewer and journalism educator.
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