The first demo from Richard Brisbois & The Haiku Mavericks!
Richard Brisbois & The Haiku Mavericks
Beginning with his early band The Buckets and on to his exceptional '90s powerhouse rock outfit 4 Hr. Ramona, there is a “wear it all on his sleeve” emotional honesty to Richard Brisbois' songwriting that comes into sharp focus with his folk-rock solo albums Anytime You Think About Her (2021) and Between the Light and Me (2025).
A lot of what Brisbois, who is a member of the Spokane Indian tribe, wears on his sleeve is drawn from his experience living part of each year on the reservation, either with his parents (his dad was born there) or with assorted aunts, uncles and cousins. The reservation is remote, and life there can be hard, but there is also the solace and pride of belonging to a tribe that has called this land in the eastern reaches of Washington state home since time immemorial.
Recalling the best of early R.E.M., Wilco, The Go-Betweens and Neil Halstead (Slowdive, Mojave 3), Brisbois deftly places sonic ambiance throughout his recordings, using layered sounds to voice the narrative. And while he's a compelling solo artist, he has missed the collaboration and excitement of playing with a band; the discoveries and surprises that only working with other musicians can bring to a project, each player’s unique musicality adding more color to his songs.
Enter The Haiku Mavericks who during the past year have established themselves as a riveting live band, performing for good crowds at Seattle's venerable music venues The Sunset Tavern, Conor Byrne Collective, and South Seattle's Tim's Tavern, as well as shows in Brisbois' hometown of Tacoma, WA. Recruited from a cohort of musicians who have recorded and performed with the likes of Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, The Walkabouts, The Silos, Peter Buck, Karl Blau, Dean Johnson, and other notable artists, the band brings experience, musical chops and emotional depth to Brisbois’ music.
“Everyone in the Mavericks spend as much time listening as they do playing. No one steps on toes, musically” says Brisbois. “A musician friend who saw our first show said ‘you guys don’t sound like a seven piece,’ which to me was a great compliment.”
This is a band with a vast arsenal at their disposal. Between just a few of the players there is violin, mandolin, lap steel, banjo, synthesizer, harmonica, and more. And yet the music never sounds cluttered. Add to this an alternately rock solid and light as a feather rhythm section who sound like they’ve played together for years (they haven’t), and three terrific singers who can give CSNY a run for their money, and you’ve got a band that can shift from quiet vulnerability to roof-raising power in the space of a nod.
Meet the Mavs!
Richard Brisbois - Songwriter, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
Bruce Wirth - Violin, Mandolin, Dobro, Lap Steel
Michael Wells - Bass Guitar, Harmonica
Kevin Warner - Drums, Percussion, Banjo, Vocals
Additional players making appearances at shows and on recordings are Katy Palmer - Vocals, Tambourine, Jon Hyde - Electric Guitar, James Palmer - Vocals, Guitars, Glockenspiel, Harmonica, Synth, Jim Wood - Drums, and Terri Pearson - Drums
