To fans of The Mavericks, the reunion of the acclaimed forward-thinking country group is nothing short of a miracle. Heck, even some of the band members didn’t think it would happen.

“When the last Mavericks incarnation ended, that was it for me,” keyboardist Jerry Dale “J.D.” McFadden tells Country Weekly.

“There were times when J.D. and I were talking where I never thought I’d see him sitting at a keyboard again,” confirms bass player and co-founding member Robert Reynolds.

Formed in Miami in the late 1980s by Robert, drummer Paul Deakin and the mighty-voiced Raul Malo, The Mavericks became one of country’s most unique bands, blending a mix of Tejano, twang and rock. Elevated by Raul’s otherworldly pipes, the group created its own wall of sound both on record and onstage.

But internal strife and road weariness put a stop to the music in 1999.

“When you’re on that hamster wheel a lot, it doesn’t become fun as much,” Paul says. “You become a cover band of yourselves, and it’s a grind. You can get burned out.”

With that exhaustion now passed, The Mavericks—rounded out by guitarist Eddie Perez—return rested, ready and excited to release their first new album in years on Feb. 26—fittingly titled In Time.

“I thought we were done,” Raul admits. “It’s just funny how life is that way, full of surprises. You think you’ve seen it all, lived it all, know it all . . . and then, boom. And it’s wonderful. I’ve enjoyed every second of this reincarnation.

“This music, as this record, just happened. It’s like we were waiting for the Bat Signal to get everybody in line,” he continues. “And here we are.”

Look for more on The Mavericks and their new album, In Time, in the Feb. 25 issue of Country Weekly, on stands Feb. 18.