Chemistry remains intact for reunited band the Jayhawks

Photo by Marina Chavez

The Jayhawks perform Sunday at Minglewood Hall.

The Jayhawks' Gary Louris knows that the best bands aren't always the easiest propositions.

"It's like that with us as well. It's definitely an interesting group of people who are all very different," says Louris. "And that's the cause of some tension -- which usually makes for good music. You can pretty much trace that kind of tension into any good band."

Having recently reunited the classic mid-'90s lineup of the Jayhawks, and released a new album, Mockingbird Time, the roots-pop outfit arrives Minglewood Hall in Memphis for a concert Sunday night.

Formed in 1985, the Minneapolis-based group, led by signer-songwriters Louris and Mark Olson, seemed to be a band of limitless musical potential. After becoming a favorite on hometown label Twin/Tone, the group signed with major label Def American, and released a pair of minor masterpieces in 1992's Hollywood Town Hall and 1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass.

When Olson abruptly decided to leave the band after the commercial disappointment of Green Grass, it seemed a premature end to a great musical partnership.

Louris carried on with the group, taking things in more of a pop direction on albums like 1997's Sound of Lies and 2000's Smile, before going solo and becoming a successful songwriter for hire, working with the Dixie Chicks, among others.

Meanwhile, Olson went off to California to make homespun roots music, with his now former wife Victoria Williams, on a series of solo albums.

By the early 2000s, Louris and Olson had started to slowly renew their partnership, first for a soundtrack project, then later a series of successful acoustic tours, and eventually a duo record, Ready for the Flood, in 2008. Finally, the full Green Grass-era Jayhawks lineup -- including bassist Marc Perlman, drummer Tim O'Reagan, and keyboardist Karen Grotberg -- reunited for some shows in Europe, leading to the new reunion LP.

"I don't want to use the word organic, 'cause I hate that word; it's just something they put on food to raise the price," says Louris, laughing. "But that is how this whole thing evolved."

"Mark and I just had fun playing together, had fun doing the duo record. But also, we heard people talk and they wanted to hear the band; they love Gary and Mark, but the sound of the band was something that connected all the dots."

Still, the notion of reforming after so many years apart wasn't easy. "I'll be honest: it was more my idea than Olson's," says Louris. "It took a little bit of talking him into it. But I think he's grown to be quite into it now."

The friction that Louris alludes to continues to be part and parcel of the Jayhawks today, down to the selection of nightly set lists that will spread the spotlight evenly. It's all a byproduct of having such a deeply talented membership.

"This is a band that's always had tension in it because there are no disposable parts, there are no role players," says Louris. "Everyone writes songs, they're all strong players, all unique personalities."

On the new Mockingbird Time the chemistry between the band members remains intact, even if the group's sound has subtly evolved. "Our voices naturally go together, our thought process is similar, and so we can just write songs all day," says Louris. "But it is a little different than it was. We're different people than we were 15 years ago, so it's not going to be Tomorrow the Green Grass Part II."

Once overlooked, the Jayhawks legacy has been restored in recent years, thanks to the reissue campaign that included the career-spanning anthology Music from the North Country in 2009, as well as expanded versions of the band's Def American albums earlier this year.

Looking back, Louris says the group was lucky in that it found its creative footing early on.

"I don't think we ever put out a bad record, and all of it has aged well because none of it was ever genre or trend specific. It was always kind of floating out there in its own way in some weird unhip world," he says.

"Our music is not attached to big hair, or certain sounds that would date it. Listening back to those tracks, nothing made me cringe," he says, chuckling.

While Louris seems secure about the Jayhawks' past, he's less definitive about the future of the group.

"It's too early too tell," he says. "When we decided to do this, part of the plan was having no plan. It was more like, 'Let's make a record, let's play this tour, and then that tour and see if we still enjoy it.' Right now, it's still fun. It's like: so far, so good."

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The Jayhawks, Jolie Holland

Sunday, 8 p.m. at Minglewood Hall, 1555 Madison Ave. Tickets: $25 in advance, $28 day of show. Available at the box office, minglewoodhall.com or (901) 312-6058.

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