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Writer's pictureBUZZ LA

Brother Maven Discusses Captivating New Single, "I Just Wanna Love You"



Photo by: Annelise Loughead

On May 01, 2024, Nashville's emerging band Brother Maven will be releasing their highly anticipated new song, "I Just Wanna Love You." The song is a mesmerizing testament to Brother Maven's deep southern roots, featuring soulful melodies and captivating lyrics. Crafted by the talented duo Hal Odell and Daniel Mason Schwartz, this song promises to make waves in the music scene. 


Welcome to Buzz Brother Maven, and congratulations on your upcoming release, "I Just Wanna Love You." We are intrigued: Where does the band’s name, Brother Maven, come from?


After a few weeks of banging our heads against walls and throwing out every conceivable or remote possibility, we somehow stumbled across this word, 'maven,' which is a person that is at the top of their game, an expert in their field. We decided to go with that since it's what we all aspire to be, individually and collectively. But it didn't feel quite right by itself, so we attached 'brother' to it to signify the sense of brotherhood we share in the band and to try to make it a bit more impactful and memorable as a name,


You are getting ready to release a new track, “I Just Wanna Love You,” on May 1. Can you talk to us more about that?


We released our first full-length album back in November 2021 and have been working on new material ever since. Once it became apparent that it made more sense for us to regularly release singles as opposed to waiting until we had another album's worth of material in the can, we decided to put songs out one at a time. That's sort of the reality for a band at our level, so we're doing our best to embrace it.


This particular song has gone through its own share of metamorphosis. It started out as more of a straight-ahead modern country thing, and we liked it. We didn't love it, but we liked it. But we felt like there was more in the song than we were getting out of it. So we went back to work on it and came out with the version we're releasing. It's definitely more "us" and not as conventional as it was originally.


With “I Just Wanna Love You,” what was the “a-ha” moment when the band knew the song was completed and perfect?


We had a version of it recorded that we thought was good but not quite great. We knew we had to do something with it, so we went at it again to see if it was fixable. I think we sped up the tempo a little bit, and the drum groove became a little bit more aggressive. Then we tightened up some of the space in the melody (watch out for some odd-time measures in there), and eventually, we got on a roll of good ideas that we were all really liking. Somewhere in that process, you start to forget the old version because you're so much more in love with the newer one, and that's when you know.


Where does your musical inspiration come from?


So many places. As a band we all have our own particular favorite artists, and when we come together as a group and find our thing, there's a pretty wide range of musicians we're drawing from. A lot of what could be called classic rock, for lack of a better term, but also a lot of country, southern rock, and pop acts, too. We talk a lot about artists like Eagles, Toto, Van Morrison, Sting and Bob Seger, but also Chris Stapleton, John Mayer and Zac Brown, too.


How was the last year for you? What were your highlights?


It's been great. Difficult in a few ways, but a great experience. We just had our maiden voyage on the Rock Boat along with Sister Hazel and Jon Foreman from Switchfoot. We have been getting out of Nashville and playing some other markets. Our usual spot in Nashville has been shut down since the New Year for renovations, but it ought to be up and running around the summer. The best part of the last year, though, has got to be graduating from a trio to a four-piece band. Jeremy McCoy, our bassist, had been working with us for a long while, more or less as a hired gun, since we had parted ways with the band's original bassist. Eventually, we all just looked at each other and asked, "Why isn't Jeremy a full-time member?" We extended the invite, and thankfully, he decided to come on as a full member. He's an incredible musician and has brought so much to the table that it's hard to quantify.


What has been your greatest challenge in the music business?


Making the right connections will lead to meaningful opportunities that will take the band to higher levels. We really believe in what we're doing and have received so much support and great feedback from so many people. But it still feels like we're trying to figure out how to get our foot in the door in a lot of ways. Things take time, and that's good, but we're eager to get a real shot with a team of people who can help open those doors we can't open on our own.


What is one thing you can tell us that most people don’t know about you and might surprise us?


I have a newborn baby due in two weeks. My other kids are six and three and, for many people in the music world, getting married and having kids is something you wait to do until after you've "made it," whatever that means. But we're all family men in this band (JP's getting married in November), and we're absolutely sold on the idea that being a successful musician in a successful band does not have to come at the expense of your family.


When you get time off, how do you like to relax?


I read like it's my job. I'm a huge history nut and a massive fan of authors like Hemingway, McCarthy, McMurtry, and great crime writers like Dennis Lehane, James Ellroy, and Elmore Leonard. I love a good workout almost every day, and some of my best memories are from the hikes I've gone on with my wife. Building memories with my kids is a big priority for me, too, so whatever we can think up for them these days is well worth it.


At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people take away from your songs?


That good music can be just that. It doesn't have to preach, it doesn't have to attach itself to any trend or fad, it doesn't have to be toxically introspective... it can just be what it is: good music for its own sake. That normal guys can make great music without worrying about being rock stars or celebrities or anything. That great melodies and catchy lyrics can get together with cool grooves and help improve your day (and life). You don't need computers and digital editing to make a great record, and playing and singing well still matter. Basically, a group of guys who have worked really hard to get good at their craft can get together and come up with something that you'll want to sing along with at the top of your lungs while driving down your favorite road and music like that never really goes out of style.


Any last words for our readers and your fans? How do they connect with you?


I just hope you enjoy listening to "I Just Wanna Love You" as much as we enjoyed writing and recording it. If you dig it, share it with anyone you think might like it because word-of-mouth is still the most powerful form of marketing for us musicians.


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