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Reckless Kelly singer records in mountains the day of earthquake: 'I hope I didn't jinx us'

Idaho native Willy Braun was making his latest video at the site of the 1983 Borah quake Tuesday when another big quake hit near his home in Stanley.

STANLEY, Idaho — The earthquake that shook Idaho and neighboring states Tuesday evening had Willy Braun wondering -- was he to blame?

Braun sings lead vocals and plays guitar with the band Reckless Kelly, which also includes his brother, Cody Braun, who performed as children with their father, Muzzie, and younger brothers Micky and Gary, as Muzzie Braun and the Braun Brothers.

The two eldest Braun brothers formed Reckless Kelly shortly before moving to Austin, Texas, in the late 1990s.

Now, with concerns about coronavirus putting the band's live performance schedule on the backburner, Willy Braun is back home in Idaho.

He's still playing music -- to an online audience.

Braun was working on the second in a series of "Music From The Mountains" video performances the day of Idaho's most powerful earthquake in more than 36 years.

"So I was doing a song called 'Volcano' about the fault line at Mount Borah from the '83 earthquake, the big one," Braun said. "I just set up my camera and tripod and it's just me singing song out here in the desert.

"Who would have thought? I hope I didn't jinx us."

Watch Braun's entire video here:

Here’s some sweet irony. I was working on recording some songs for a future episode of “Music From The Mountains” this morning and I talked about the inspiration for “Volcano,” the earthquake of ‘83. I pointed out the fault line and had been planning to drive up to the historical site and finish the video later in the day. Around 6:00 We experienced a 6.4 or 6.5 earthquake here in idaho. 😳 So instead of waiting for the next MFTM, here’s the song and the story behind it. (Hope I didn’t jinx us)! -WB Edited- I posted this yesterday, that’s how long it takes a video to load from idaho cell service!

Posted by Reckless Kelly on Wednesday, April 1, 2020

While social distancing keeps Reckless Kelly off the live concert stage, Braun will typically post the "Music From The Mountains" videos at 6 p.m. MDT each Sunday night on the Reckless Kelly Facebook page. They'll also be posted on YouTube at the "RKTV" channel.

For the first edition, posted March 29, Braun kicked off his set with -- appropriately -- "Splendid Isolation," by the late Warren Zevon, followed by "North American Jackpot," a song Braun co-wrote with another Idaho musician, Jeff Crosby.

"This song is about being born in the right place at the right time," Braun said on his video. "Keep this one in mind when things get tough. Just remember that you could've been born in a much worse place at a much worse time."

Other highlights include Pinto Bennett's "Idaho Cowboy" and the closer, "May Peace Find You Tonight."

Watch "Music From The Mountains - Episode 1" here:

Reckless Kelly is also releasing two new albums this spring: "American Jackpot" and "American Girls" will be released digitally on May 22. Compact discs and vinyl albums will go on sale at a later date.

The band's website on April 1 listed concert dates planned for early June in Stanley and Cambridge.

Update - May 4: Since the original publication of this article, Reckless Kelly has announced that the shows scheduled for June 4 and 5 in Stanley have been postponed to November 18 and 19. The show scheduled for the Hells Canyon Jam on June 6 in Cambridge has been postponed until some time in 2021.

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