Damn Fine Music: Listen to the Mavericks’ Horn-Happy New Single, “Damned (If You Do)”

With a catalog of crowd-pleasing hits like “What a Crying Shame,” “Here Comes the Rain” and “All You Ever Do Is Bring Me Down,” the Mavericks have been a staple of country music for more than 25 years. And the band is showing no signs of slowing down.

Two years after releasing their award-winning album, Mono—which helped them cop Group of the Year at the 2015 Americana Awards—the Mavericks are gearing up for the March 31 release of their eighth studio album, Brand New Day. The upcoming album will be the Mavericks first independent offering on their new Mono Mundo Recordings label.

Today (March 10), the Mavericks released a new single, “Damned (If You Do),” an uptempo Latin-infused tune that’s full of horns, drums, accordion and, of course, frontman Raul Malo’s soulful voice, which sounds just as potent today as it did on the group’s self-titled debut album in 1991. The man has pipes.

“‘Damned (If You Do)’ is our ‘rock guitar’ song inspired by the futility of certain situations,” says Raul to Nash Country Daily. “Basically, no matter what, there’s always rock and roll!”

Listen to “Damned (If You Do)” below, a smorgasbord of neotraditional country, soul and rockabilly—with the Cuban flavor we’ve come to relish from the Mavericks.

photo by David McClister

Blogs

Miranda Lambert Performs “Kerosene” During ‘American Idol’ To Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary

On Sunday (May 4), Miranda Lambert took to the American Idol stage to deliver a fiery rendition of her breakout hit single, "Kerosene.” The performance was a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the song as well as Lambert’s 2005 debut album of the same name, which featured four Top 40 hits on the Billboard…

Miranda Lambert Performs “Kerosene” During ‘American Idol’ To Celebrate Its 20th Anniversary

On Sunday (May 4), Miranda Lambert took to the American Idol stage to deliver a fiery rendition of her breakout hit single, “Kerosene.” The performance was a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the song as well as Lambert’s 2005 debut album of the same name, which featured four Top 40 hits on the Billboard…

Eric Church Reveals That Morgan Wallen Called Him After Chair-Throwing Incident At His Nashville Bar

In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Eric Church disclosed that Morgan Wallen reached out to him after the infamous chair-throwing incident at Church's Nashville bar in April 2024. Church described the arrest as a turning point for Wallen, and expressed pride in the young country superstar’s response to the situation while noting…

Eric Church Reveals That Morgan Wallen Called Him After Chair-Throwing Incident At His Nashville Bar

In a new interview with The Los Angeles Times, Eric Church disclosed that Morgan Wallen reached out to him after the infamous chair-throwing incident at Church’s Nashville bar in April 2024. Church described the arrest as a turning point for Wallen, and expressed pride in the young country superstar’s response to the situation while noting…

Reba McEntire Reflects On Her 50th Anniversary In Country Music Ahead Of ACM Awards Hosting Gig

In a new interview with People, Reba McEntire reflects on her 'mind-boggling' 50th anniversary in the music industry, expressing gratitude and humility regarding the historic milestone. "Very grateful, very thankful," McEntire says while looking back on her storied career. "And I never thought at the 20th anniversary that I'd be hitting this one. But I…

Reba McEntire Reflects On Her 50th Anniversary In Country Music Ahead Of ACM Awards Hosting Gig

In a new interview with People, Reba McEntire reflects on her ‘mind-boggling’ 50th anniversary in the music industry, expressing gratitude and humility regarding the historic milestone. “Very grateful, very thankful,” McEntire says while looking back on her storied career. “And I never thought at the 20th anniversary that I’d be hitting this one. But I…

Keith Urban Will Be Honored With ACM Triple Crown Award At 60th ACM Awards

Keith Urban will be honored with the prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, becoming the first artist to receive this distinction live on the ACM stage since Carrie Underwood in 2010. The ACM Triple Crown Award is only given out to artists who have clinched three of the…

Keith Urban Will Be Honored With ACM Triple Crown Award At 60th ACM Awards

Keith Urban will be honored with the prestigious ACM Triple Crown Award at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards, becoming the first artist to receive this distinction live on the ACM stage since Carrie Underwood in 2010. The ACM Triple Crown Award is only given out to artists who have clinched three of the…

Eric Church Shares Insight Into His Inventive New Album, ‘Evangeline Vs. The Machine’

Eric Church released his eighth studio album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, on Friday (May 2), and the eight tracks on the record showcase the country superstar’s imaginative approach to his music with an unconventional blend of strings, horns, and a choir on each song. In a new interview with Variety ahead of the album’s release,…

Eric Church Shares Insight Into His Inventive New Album, ‘Evangeline Vs. The Machine’

Eric Church released his eighth studio album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, on Friday (May 2), and the eight tracks on the record showcase the country superstar’s imaginative approach to his music with an unconventional blend of strings, horns, and a choir on each song. In a new interview with Variety ahead of the album’s release,…