MAVERICK - FIREBIRD ALBUM LAUNCH

"FIREBIRD"

I recently had a chat with Craig Jovanovic, the lead singer/guitarist from upcoming band Maverick who are due to release there brand new album “FireBird” at Badlands this Friday night the 14th July 2017, with support from friends Datura4, Moonlighter, and Yomi Ship. 

Album recorded and engineered by: Kenny Watt at Electric City Studios. 

Mastered by: L.Nix Mastering Memphis, Tennessee.

Produced & mixed by: Kenny Watt & Maverick

1. What does your band name mean? Contrary to most immediate assumptions, the band is not named after a Tom Cruise film! We wanted the band to be able to be and play whatever we decide to at any given time. We didn’t want a name that pigeon holed us into a particular style or genre so Maverick, in its true meaning, fitted us best.
   We are Maverick.
   
   
   See definition below 
   
   
   Maverick ˈmav(ə)rɪk’ noun
   1.
   an unorthodox or independent-minded person.
   "he's the maverick of the senate"
   synonyms: individualist, nonconformist, free spirit, unorthodox person, unconventional person, original, trendsetter, bohemian, eccentric, outsider; More
   2.
   NORTH AMERICAN
   an unbranded calf or yearling.
   
   

  

2. How did you and the other band member's meet? The connections were made through intensive and thorough facebook stalking. HA! As much as I hate social media, it is good for finding people! I was on the lookout for quality players and above all else, quality people to fill out the band, Simon I knew of from other bands that he had played in around town, he was busy initially at the time so I have to progressively force my ideas onto him over time, it took me a couple of months to break him. Nick was and still is a complete mystery haha, I spotted him in a comment on a mutual friends post, his profile pic was him playing drums and immediately I knew two things, he looked the part and id never seen him around before so there was a good chance that he wasn’t tied up in any other projects. FRESH MEAT. I stalked him good and managed to get hold of him, we eventually got him in a room with us after a bit of conflicting schedule madness and it was a hit, he was the man to beat the tubs. Mark play’s with Simon in another band and had expressed interest in the style of music that we were playing, it was still rough around the edges but he could see where we were going and when Riley (Maverick Mach 1 Guitarist) decided to part ways Mark came into the picture and we haven’t looked back.  

  

3. What's your songwriting process? I don’t think we have a process perse, we have ideas, be it lyrical, melodic, riffs, progressions etc. and we just work on those ideas bit by bit and allow them to reveal themselves to us.

  

4. Who are your influences and heroes music wise and why? Over my journey of rock’n’roll discovery so far I have had many heros and influences, they would change with my personal progression and preferred artists of the time. I have come to the point now, especially with writing music, that I don’t like to linger on one artist or musical style because it starts influencing me too much and everything that I write sounds just like what ive been listening to. So I guess the answer to the question is music, music in general influences me, in all its forms, feels and styles. I like it this way so that everything that I write has a mixed bag of flavours, so it is Maverick.    

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5. How would you describe the sound of your new album "FireBird"? Lean, clean and mean. We wanted to produce a record where you can hear and feel the depth and width of the sound. Too many records these days are slammed with compression, yeah they are big and in your face but they are flat, they have no texture or warmth. We traded some of those technological compression enhancements in favor of a richer tone that has space and clarity.  

  

6. Are there any "crazy" behind the scenes anecdotes from the     studio that you can share with us? There was nothing really crazy that sticks out in my mind, we are all really relaxed people some crazy outlandish happenings are not common. We did have a series of ‘in-house’ running jokes, still do for that matter. The studio was a fun time for everyone, we were just laying down tracks, pulling the piss out of each other and enjoying the process.

  

7. What was it like working with Kenny Watt? Did he use any weird experimental milking and/or recording techniques? Kenny is a legend!, I cant speak highly enough of the man! He is an absolute pleasure to work with and fit the band like a glove. His personality is the same as ours, really laid back and easy going but he can also push you to get the best out of you without unsettling the vibe of the person or the band. To be honest, I have no idea if he used any weird techniques or not, all I know is that he understood our vision for this record and he turned the nobs and flicked the switches and made it happen.

  

8. Are you pleased with the final outcome (sound production wise)? yes, couldn’t be happier. This is exactly what we were shooting for when we set out to make the album.

  

9. What kind of input did Kenny Watt have during the recording sessions? Yes he did. We had all of the tracks, structured and complete before we went to Ken but there are just some minute details that only flesh themselves out in the studio and only a golden ear like Kenny’s can pick it out. Kenny didn’t want to interfere too much tho, as it is our project and we should do what we feel is best but we encouraged him to voice his opinion as we trust his judgement. At the end of the day any suggestions that he made were only for the betterment of the record, after all the finished product is like a business card for him so he wants it to be as good as it can.

10. Anything you would like to share or add? I would like to add a couple of things, while we are plugging the production: Lnix mastering, they did a fantastic job, they deserve credit for their work and I hope that many many people’s listen to the album and enjoy it as much as we do … and come to the shows to see us live so we can continue to make more records 😊

PEACE.

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If you would like to check out Maverick, then make sure you add July 14th - Maverick FireBird album launch at Badlands to your calendar!!

"Get this thing into your sweet little hands"

Members:

Craig Jovanovic - Vocals/Guitar  

Mark De Vattimo - Guitar/Vocals 

Simon Hallett - Bass/Vocals 

Nick Dudman - Drums/Vocals

From left to right: Simon, Mark, Craig, Nick. Photo by: Emanuel Rudnicki

You can also check out more of Mavericks journey through the following links:

Website: http://www.maverickaustralia.com.au

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MaverickFirebird/

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/MaverickFirebird/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC63dN14Z3CSRWQZ7k0muB4w

Bandcamp: http://maverickfirebird.bandcamp.com

Studio photos by: Emanuel Rudnicki





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