BIO

Roy Schneider and Kim Mayfield are the core duo and songwriters of Reckless Saints. Partners in music and love since 2003, they began recording and touring five years later. “Blue Twangled Folk 'n' Roll' is the answer Roy provided to the question "What kind of music do you play?"  The Fort Myers based duo decided to use his answer as the album title for their new release, while also adopting the title of their 2018 release 'Reckless Saints' as their new band moniker.

Reckless Saints founder Roy Schneider was 16 and in hiding when he began making music in earnest. He had just escaped a yearlong incarceration at a controversial facility for troubled teens called Straight, Inc.  where, among many other things, he had been denied the right to play his guitar, listen to or even talk about music. The saintly woman who sheltered Roy after his escape (one of the original 'Reckless Saints') loaned him her son's* guitar, which he played obsessively, teaching himself countless songs by Bob Dylan, the Grateful Dead and The Beatles. 

A decade on, Schneider had married, divorced, become a single father, worked as a Happy Meal toy designer,and for 3 years wrote and drew the syndicated single-dad comic strip The Humble Stumble (United Media). All the while he played covers in bars several nights per week. His passion for musical expression eventually drew his focus from the visual arts to writing more original music and finding an audience for it. Roy's songs have thrice made him a Kerrville New Folk finalist and provided opportunities to make musical connections with dozens of artists. In the 'Most Unexpected Gig Ever' category is his 10-month prep and 'blind audition' for Season 5 of The Voice, where he got no chairs but did get to perform on national television slinging his beloved and well-worn Martin OM-28. He's opened for and/or accompanied John McEuen, Charlie McCoy, Joe Craven, Malcolm Holcombe, Verlon Thompson, Freebo, Buddy Mondlock... and Tom Paxton, who, after a short tour with Roy as his right-hand-man, called him "one of those horrible people who seemingly can play anything they pick up and play it beautifully."

Kim Mayfield grew up in a house filled with music. By age 9 she began piano lessons, learning the basics of technique and reading music; mistakenly believing that reading sheet music was the only way to play piano. " I became disillusioned because the sheet music felt so stiff, and didn't sound like what I heard on the recordings."  Years later and eager to find her voice, she bought a guitar on ebay and taught herself to play enough chords to sing some favorite songs. Never even considering  performing as a career she remained a closet musician and worked as a hairdresser, dental assistant, yoga instructor and massage therapist.  After a 10 year relationship, she found herself a divorced single mom to son Max, inspiring her to tell the story of his adoption from a Siberian children's hospital in one of her first original songs, "Buddha Baby." 

Kim & Roy met online in 2003, when it was still awkward to admit to such in public. On their first date, Roy had Kim playing a few chords on the mandolin and their musical collaboration began. Roy was making a living performing in local venues at the time, but was reluctant to share his original songs as he felt no one was really listening. Kim suggested they book a summer tour, playing any venue that would have them, so they could focus on playing their own songs for a listening audience. Roy agreed, and the duo spent 6 weeks on the road pulling a tiny camper.  The inaugural tour gave them confidence to continue seeking a bigger listening audience and led to higher profile bookings and two European tours. The duo spent over a decade touring and recording 5 CDs of original music under their solo names before officially adopting Reckless Saints as their band name. 

Their new record, and the first official Reckless Saints release, has been years in the making and was greatly influenced by the stress of lockdown. ”'Quarantine Lockdown Blues” was written to the beat of a dripping roof leak in the couple's back shed/studio.  In the song, Roy lyricized his fantasy of riding motorcycles with Jorma Kaukonen near his Fur Peace Ranch in Ohio.  

Kim's “Til the Medicine Takes” could have been a song about addiction, but is actually a cry of despair written before vaccines were on the horizon.  Similarly, “Can't Stay Here” is a desperate wish to be somewhere or someone else.

”Welcome back to the World” kicks off the record with joy and wonder, Roy recounting his wildly-stimulating bus trip through NYC after escaping the crushing dullness ofhis childhood incarceration, though it could also read as a triumphant return to normal life after lockdown.  Adding to the song's Grateful Dead flavor is a guitar solo from David Gans, longtime host of the syndicated 'Grateful Dead Hour' and a friend of the band.

Kim's longing to "dance our blues away" with Roy in his blue suede shoes reflects the cabin fever we all experienced during Covid, and sweetly reminds us not to forget about taking time to play in our busy lives. 

”Everybody Lookin' Down” features the horn section of Freebo (Bonnie Raitt) on tuba and Lee Thornburg (Tonight Show band) on trumpet and valve trombone. This lightest track on the album jokingly laments the very real epidemic of cell phone addiction.

Other studio guests on ‘Blue Twangled Folk 'n' Roll’ include the legendary Country Music Hall of Famer, Charlie McCoy, on harmonica, and Aaron Neville bassist, David C. Johnson. The album was recorded and mixed at the couple's home studio, 'Shiny Gnu Records,' with mastering by Mark Hallman in Austin, TX.

-------------

*Her son was Tim Coletti, who plays bass on "Can't Stay Here" on this record