The Mavericks Fire Bass Guitarist Over Drug Addiction

Miami-bred country-rock mainstays The Mavericks have confirmed that they have parted ways with founding member and bassist Robert Reynolds as a result of ongoing substance abuse issues.

Taking to Facebook this morning (AEST), the celebrated US group explained their motivations for going public about Reynolds' addiction in an interview with Rolling Stone.

"Second only to the difficulty and emotional complexity of coming to the decision to let go of a loved one in the throes of addiction is how and whether to talk about it publicly," they wrote. "One conversation or article cannot convey all the emotions that surround such a complex issue.

"When it became apparent that something needed to be said, we were left with how to approach this sensitive subject. The more we talked, the more we came to the conclusion that an accounting of the truth was needed. In no way do we wish to shame our brother. We have and still wish only the best for Robert and hope he gets the help he desperately needs."

As Rolling Stone reports, Reynolds was actually fired from the band back in October after more than a year of issues arising from Reynolds' burgeoning addiction to opiates, a battle the bassist has fought since before The Mavericks reconvened in 2012 after an eight-year hiatus and hit the studio to record 2013 full-length In Time.

"I knew about it from before the band got back together," drummer Paul Deakin told Rolling Stone. "There were many signs when he first came back into the studio. I confronted him about it, and he denied. When he finally admitted it, I said, 'I'm not going to sign these [record] contracts until you go into rehab.'

"On three separate occasions we put him in different forms of rehab over the past three years."

Despite the efforts of Deakin and his fellow band members, Raul Malo, Eddie Perez and Jerry Dale McFadden, Reynolds remained in thrall to his addiction, leading The Mavericks to briefly address the issue on Facebook back in October.

"At this moment Robert has chosen to take time to attend to personal matters," the band wrote. "We wish him nothing but the best. And we offer our full support to him and his family in this difficult time."

The Mavericks recently visited Australia, performing at this year's downsized CMC Rocks festival in North Queensland. The band's forthcoming studio full-length, Mono, will be released internationally on 17 February, 2015.