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"When we first started the band, we didn't know a whole lot about where the name came from. We had heard it in school, and it just kind of clicked in there," says multi-instrumentalist Cody Braun, adding with a laugh, "we just thought robbing banks was another alternative job, like being in a band."
In point of fact, their ever-increasing acclaim makes something of a mockery of such harbingers. They were named Best Roots Rock Band three times running by the Austin Chronicle, among other laudations, and roots-songwriting legend Robert Earl Keen gushes like a teenage fan-boy in the liner notes he wrote for their exceptional new album, Under the Table and Above the Sun.
After nearly a decade of touring with their father and siblings in Western swing act Muzzie Braun and the Boys, Cody and brother/vocalist/guitarist Willy Braun put Reckless Kelly together in their then-hometown of Bend, Oregon. Soon after, the band relocated to Austin. They quickly became one of the city's most talked-about draws on the strength of regular gigs, frequent acoustic sets and a sound that blended the burgeoning alt-country scene's eclecticism and earnestness with the upbeat roadhouse vibe and two-step danceability the Braun brothers have plied since childhood.
"Willy and I, out of the band, we've got the most swing and kind of honky-tonk background, and it definitely comes from my dad," says Cody. "We played with him for nine years, us and our brothers, and that's definitely where our roots are."
The word "reckless" in their name might be a bit misleading; while the quintet (rounded out by drummer Jay Nazz, guitarist David Abeyta and bassist Jimmy McFeely) is unarguably rollicking and energetic, the style, quality and inimitability of their tunes is the product of carefully honed craft. The band's first release, 1998's Millican, aptly showcased their love of mixing front-porch music with two-step swing and a little rocking Americana. Its follow-up, the tellingly named Acoustic: Live at Stubb's, more fully embraced the fivesome's obsession with a totally stripped-down approach. In keeping with a developing methodology of mixing things up, The Day (2000) roared back from its predecessor's largely unplugged execution with their most rock 'n' roll-influenced y'allternative tracks to date.
Under the Table and Above the Sun, released just a couple of weeks ago on notable roots imprint Sugar Hill Records, puts all of the group's disparate elements together in its most cohesive and best-sounding package to date. While each of Reckless Kelly's efforts has differed at least subtly from the others, Cody Braun says the only real planning concerns strong material and keeping things fresh.
"We've never really set out to make a 'different' record, but the band has matured a lot and changed over the years. Our interests change," he says. "We've never really put a leash on our music, or what we're trying to do. We just kind of let it happen as naturally as possible.
"Willy's always trying to throw in new ideas as a songwriter. If there's anything that's thought out about the band, that's probably the only thing, trying not to make it sound the same. Not necessarily something outrageously different, but just not getting in a rut."
The group mixes it up lyrically, as well. In addition to the well-loved classic roots themes present on Under the Table, there's a smattering of interesting new approaches -- including "Desolation Angels," which screws around nicely with Beat-influenced rhythms and words -- and two songs about, well, snow skiing.
"It's probably definitely the only roots-rock record out there with two songs about skiing on it," says Cody with a laugh. "We've always been big fans of [ski-footage filmmaker] Warren Miller, and we met a guy that was working with him. He ended up asking us to write a couple of songs for one of his movies."
The songwriting sessions yielded "Snowfall" and "Set Me Free;" the former ended up in a flick called Storm, but everyone in the band agreed both tunes were release-worthy.
"Both of them had that theme, but they relate with the rest of the songs [on the album] too. They weren't so far out that we couldn't use 'em," Cody says.
Community, college and underground radio stations that feature regular roots/ alt-country programming have long supported Reckless Kelly. That airplay has increased considerably due to the Sugar Hill hookup coupled with ensuing anticipation regarding Under the Table -- lumping the band squarely in the middle of the vague and open-ended category of Americana/Alt-Country.
Cody agrees that the assignation is a double-edged sword: On one hand, it never really describes what a certain band does, but on the other, it gives a band the freedom to explore what they do while still being at least nominally associated with some sort of familiar touchstone.
"I would tend to use Americana a lot more than alt-country, because that's even more of a broad range of different things," he says. "So often in the last couple of years, even if you use the word country, people kind of cringe."
And with good reason, given what commercial radio is calling country these days.
"Yeah. So we've tried to steer clear of that title just for that fact," Cody says.
"But I think what's going on with the [alt-country] scene is great. It's long overdue that country music expanded into different things. We're thrilled just to be in the same boat, making people aware and turning 'em on to new music and alternatives to mainstream country radio."
Scott Harrell can be reached at 813-248-8888, ext. 109, or by e-mail at scott.harrell@weeklyplanet.com.
