Gov’t Mule tackles it all, from reggae to metal
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| Gov't Mule |
By Scott McLennan
Special to The Journal
Published: 31 May 2013 02:11 PM
Next time you’re about to say, “I’m too busy to do that,” just think of Warren Haynes.
Haynes is the indefatigable guitarist who’ll be leading Gov’t Mule into the Newport Yachting Center on Thursday as part of the Sunset Music Series. Then Haynes heads off to Mountain Jam, a music festival he helped found in 2005 that takes place annually in New York’s Catskills, to perform Saturday, June 8, with Gov’t Mule and again on Sunday, June 9, in a band led by Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead. Then sandwiching a Gov’t Mule tour of Europe, Haynes collaborates with orchestras in eight U.S. cities for symphonic presentations of Jerry Garcia’s music (including a June 22 date at Tanglewood with the Boston Pops).
Come August, Haynes takes his spot in the Allman Brothers Band for concerts with the legendary psychedelic blues troupe through mid September. Then it’s back to touring with Gov’t Mule as the band supports a new record coming out later this year.
Gov’t Mule, which Haynes formed with drummer Matt Abts and bassist Allen Woody in 1994, hasn’t released new music since 2009’s “By a Thread.” Haynes says the new record was made during short breaks in between other projects.
“It fell together quickly and easily,” Haynes says. “Once we started writing, a lot of songs were completed quickly, and that just spurred the album.”
Haynes figures the project went smoothly because at this point even the “new guy — bassist Jorgen Carlsson — has been in the band for five years, which is about how long his predecessor, Andy Hess, had been in the group. Original member Woody died in 2000, and Haynes and Abts soldiered on with several guest replacements before settling on Hess. The post-Woody era also brought keyboard player Danny Louis into the fold, which helped expand Gov’t Mule’s sound beyond the heavy blues rock of its early years.
“When it comes time to make a record, I look at the catalog and see what’s missing. That helps me find a direction. I’m interested in exploring styles that I have not quite captured yet,” Haynes says.
That’s why you’ll find everything from soul to reggae to heavy metal given a ride on the Mule once you start digging around the band’s catalog of originals and myriad covers; this is a band as comfortable putting its stamp on a Beatles song as it is on a Black Sabbath track.
Haynes wasn’t revealing too many details about the new project before its official arrival announcement, but he says that Gov’t Mule will be airing its new songs live and that he’s happy how each song on the record sounds different from the others.
“We took a year off, and everyone came back rejuvenated,” Haynes says of the burst of ideas from his band mates. (And by year off, Haynes means he spent that time leading a new band that accentuated his R&B leanings).
And while Gov’t Mule is gearing up to promote a new studio album (maybe even making its first music video in the process), that will not deter from the way it handles itself on stage — oh, there will be lengthy jams on songs new and old.
“The stage and records are completely different and not to be confused,” he says. “Our songs tend to be longer than other artist’s songs, that lets us really open up live.”
Scott McLennan can be reached at smclennan1010@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottMcLennan1
Gov’t Mule is performing Thursday at the Newport Yachting Center, 4 Commercial Wharf, Newport at 5:30 p.m. Tickets $35.50 in advance, $45.50 day of show, newportwaterfrontevents.com (401) 846-1600.
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