In the middle of a rainstorm in Miami, Mau y Ricky are finding shelter in the place where they feel most at home—the recording studio.
After nearly a decade of penning multi-platinum hits for themselves and other artists, the Latin superstars are opening a new door to more creative control with their EP La Llave, releasing August 28. In addition to launching their own record label, Mau y Ricky’s studio sits inside a compound that they’re building as a hub for creatives like themselves.
There’s passion and intention behind every word when the brothers speak about the future and using their platform for good. Mau, the more level-headed, and Ricky, the wild child, are perfectly in sync when it comes to making music together.
“We’re excited for this point of our career where we’re able to do what we want,” Ricky says. “We’re excited for what’s to come and we’re having fun with it.” Mau adds, “We put in a lot of hard and beautiful work to be the owners of our music.”
Mau and Ricky Montaner are the sons of Argentine-born Venezuelan pop legend Ricardo Montaner. The brothers were born in Caracas and grew up watching and even performing with their father at his sold-out concerts. In a “nepo baby” era of celebrities being afraid to admit having famous relatives, that’s never been the case for Mau y Ricky. In fact, the elder Montaner has a cameo in their song “Muriendo de Miedo” from last year’s Hotel Caracas album.
“I can proudly tell you that I am so lucky to grow up in the musical family that I did because I was able to do this [ever] since I can remember,” Ricky says. “I have been making music and building towards this moment that we’re living now since I was a little kid.” Mau adds, “Seeing how our dad did his job with so much grace, how he was always so loving to everybody, and how everyone loved him back inspired us artists.”
Despite having the Montaner last name, success didn’t come easy for the brothers, who started performing as MR in 2011, rebranding as Mau y Ricky in 2016. But it was their songwriting that brought them their own well-earned success, penning hits like Karol G’s “Pineapple,” Becky G and Natti Natasha’s “Sin Pijama,” and Ricky Martin and Maluma‘s “Vente Pa’ Ca.” From there, Mau y Ricky earned multiple Latin Grammy nominations and amassed over a billion views on YouTube with their global smash “Desconocidos” featuring Manuel Turizo and their future brother-in-law Camilo.
“Songwriting was such a beautiful and unexpected blessing that we didn’t think would put us on the route that we’re on now,” Mau recalls. “It’s really cool because we got to befriend a lot of artists that we admire. We started getting that credit from our peers within the industry. That gave us the ability to say that we’re completely in love with making music whether it’s for us or other people.”
After establishing themselves as undeniable hitmakers, Mau y Ricky seamlessly weaved their playful and boundary-pushing pop into 2019’s reggaeton-infused Para Aventuras y Curiosidades, 2020’s punk-leaning Rifresh, and the Desgenerados Mixtape. To show that no genre is out of bounds for the duo, one of their biggest hits is the heartbreaking banda song “Llorar y Llorar” with Mexican crooner Carín León.
But despite flying high, Mau y Ricky suffered the first blow to their career after parting ways with Sony Music Latin in late 2022. “I feel like this is a very difficult career to follow and remain sane in,” Mau admits. “It has such extreme ups and downs that can be really hard on one person. Having my brother’s support has helped me soften those falls. Being there for each other has been fundamental to our wellbeing and mental health.”
With a fresh start, Mau y Ricky signed with Warner Music Latina and created their own label, Why Club Records, in 2023. The first LP on their imprint was the adventurous Hotel Caracas. Mau y Ricky pulled inspiration from a homecoming trip they took to Venezuela to reconnect with their roots. Since returning to Miami, they’ve found a sense of community with other Venezuelan artists who feature on the alluring La Llave EP. Danny Ocean and Yorghaki jump on the bachata-inflected “Samaná,” Lagos join them on the exhilarating “Noche de Luna,” and Elena Rose lends her voice to “Agua.”
“Our trip to Venezuela gave us a new purpose, a new identity, and a new group of friends,” Ricky says. “It’s helped consolidate the Venezuelan movement that we’re proud to be part of. Having gone back and reconnected personally with who we are gave us a sense of responsibility to take our platform and push it forward to the next generation.”
Not only is La Llave bringing a close to the Hotel Caracas era, it also closes their time with Warner. Mau y Ricky forge ahead as independent artists with Why Club Records. After a sold-out tour on the East Coast earlier this year, they’re planning to head to the West Coast in 2026 in support of their next album. At the same time, Mau y Ricky are investing into the compound that will include three recording studios, a wellness center, and a place where they can grow The Why Podcast, hosted by Mau and designed to help people find their life’s purpose. They’re hoping to be a resource for the next wave of artists, songwriters, and producers, which could include Mau’s son Apollo in the future.
“We realized that we don’t want to leave this industry how we found it,” Mau says. “It’s always been our dream to help other artists’ dreams come true. If my son decides to be a part of this industry, which by the looks of it, I think he will be, I want to make sure that I do everything in my power and with our platform for it to be better.”
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