When members of The Mavericks met to discuss the possibility of a reunion tour after an extended hiatus, bassist Robert Reynolds had one request.
New music was a must.
"Without new material, you are pretty much saying that you have nothing else to give to the world," Reynolds said in a phone interview from Austin, Tex. "You are no longer searching yourself for music. The next stop is Branson."
Luckily for Reynolds, his former bandmates agreed.
They went into the studio to create the album "In Time," which was released last month on the Big Machine Records imprint, The Valory Music Co.
The Mavericks will mix some of the band's new stuff with classics such as "All You Ever Do is Bring Me Down" and "Foolish Heart" when it performs at the Fox Tucson Theatre tonight.
Reynolds said the group is rebuilding itself from the ground up after nearly a decade of its members barely speaking to each other.
The Miami-born outfit had celebrated success in its day, particularly in the mid-1990s, with the release of its signature album "Music for all Occasions."
But by 2003, after years of touring, several Grammy and Country Music Award nods, and six albums, the band was feeling the strain.
Reynolds said the pressures of the industry and splintering of the group's interests began to take its toll.
"When that happens, you run that risk that you don't have anything special on stage," he said. "There is nothing happening in the studio. You are not anxious to get in there and work together. Everything gets a little cold."
Reynolds recalled a rather unceremonious ending to The Mavericks when band members parted ways that same year.
"We literally played a show one night, said 'See you soon,' then walked away," Reynolds said. "We always said we would respect our own legacy enough to walk if it wasn't right. We honored that commitment."
Members went to work on side projects.
Lead singer Raul Malo released six solo CDs.
Reynolds formed the supergroup SWAG with Wilco's Ken Coomer, Cheap Trick's Tom Petersson, Doug Powell and fellow Mav alum Jerry Dale McFadden.
One of the primary reasons Mavericks' members decided to reunite was at the behest of its fans.
"We were constantly being asked when the band was going to do something again," Reynolds said. "It could be annoying, but at the same time, there was something there, a legacy with a fanbase that hasn't let this thing go."
Reynolds said the feedback the group has received for its album and live shows since getting back together has been humbling.
"To be able to come back after 10 years away and be so welcomed back is such a blessing," he said.
If you go
• What: The Mavericks in concert.
• When: 7:30 p.m. tonight.
• Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
• Tickets: $26-$52 through the Fox box office, 547-3040.
• Details: foxtucsontheatre.org
Contact reporter Gerald M. Gay at ggay@azstarnet.com or 807-8430.
