Gov't Mule
photo by Jay Sansone

Gov't Mule announce first-ever blues album (stream "Heavy Load")

Gov’t Mule — the band led by Warren Haynes (of the Allman Brothers Band, multiple Grateful Dead offshoots, and more) — will release a new album, Heavy Load Blues, on November 12 via Fantasy Records (pre-order). The band are calling it their first-ever blues album, and it features a mix of Haynes originals and covers originally made famous by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Junior Wells, Ann Peebles, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Tom Waits and the Animals.

“For me, personally, it’s kind of been on my list of things to do for years,” Warren said. “I didn’t know if it was gonna be a solo album or a Gov’t Mule record. We play some traditional blues on stage from time to time and although it’s usually never more than a few songs per show, our approach to the blues is unique and based on our collective chemistry as a band. This album gave us a mission. Although in some way it was ‘anything goes,’ we wanted to stay true to the spirit of the blues in a traditional sense. It’s not a blues/rock record – it’s a blues record. We wanted it sonically to sound different from a normal Gov’t Mule record.”

The distinction between blues and blues rock is clear on lead single “Heavy Load,” a Warren Haynes original. It’s a seven-minute song with nothing more than Warren’s voice and traditional blues style acoustic guitar, and it sounds timeless in the way that real-deal blues often does.

“‘Heavy Load’ is the last song we recorded for the album. It’s a song I started working on a few years ago and just finished shortly before going in to the studio,” Warren told us. “The lyric is a pretty universal message about life’s hardships which we can all relate to, especially right now. The music and the way the recording was captured are very much in the tradition of old Delta style blues.”

Listen and watch a making-of video for the album below. Gov’t Mule also have upcoming tour dates, which are listed below.

Gov't Mule

Tracklist
1. Blues Before Sunrise
2. Hole In My Soul
3. Wake Up Dead
4. Love Is A Mean Old World
5. Snatch It Back and Hold It – Hold It Back – Snatch It Back and Hold It
6. Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City
7. (Brother Bill) Last Clean Shirt
8. Make It Rain
9. Heavy Load
10. Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home
11. If Heartaches Were Nickels
12. I Asked Her For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline)
13. Black Horizon

Deluxe Version Bonus Tracks
1. Hiding Place
2. You Know My Love
3. Street Corner Talking
4. Have Mercy On The Criminal
5. Long Distance Call
6. Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody’s Home (Extended Version)
7. Need Your Love So Bad (Live)
8. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl with Hook Herrera (Live)

Gov’t Mule — 2021/2022 Tour Dates
September 9 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
September 10 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion #
September 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Mann Center #
September 12 – Saratoga, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center #
September 14 – Bethlehem, PA @ Levitt Pavilion Steelstacks
September 16 – Columbia, SC @ Columbia Speedway Amphitheater %
September 17 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater #
September 18 – Raleigh, NC @ Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek #
September 19 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion #
September 23 – Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion %
September 24 – Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion #
September 25 – Winston-Salem, NC @ Gears and Guitars Festival
October 3 – Tampa, FL @ Gasparilla Music Festival
October 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Ak-Chin Pavilion #
October 16 – Irvine, CA @ FivePoint Amphitheatre #
October 18 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
October 20 – Napa, CA @ Uptown Theater
October 22 – Placerville, CA @ Hangtown Music Festival
October 23 – Mountainview, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheater #
October 24 – Wheatland, CA @ Toyota Amphitheatre #
January 16-20 – Runaway Bay, Jamaica @ Island Exodus 12

% co-headlining w/ Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave
* w/ Special Guest Margo Price
# Outlaw Music Festival

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