The stages are lit. The amps are warm. The crowds are gathering. Welcome to April on Takin’ A Walk — and our brand new theme: Live and Legendary.
Because this is the time of year when music stops being something you stream and becomes something you feel — in your chest, in your feet, in the air around you. Concert season is here, and there is no better way to kick it off than by revisiting one of the most electrifying conversations we’ve ever had on this show.
Today’s encore guest is a man who has spent decades doing what so few musicians ever truly master — he makes every single night on stage feel like it could be the greatest show you’ve ever seen. As a guitar icon, vocalist, and songwriter, he’s been the heart of the Allman Brothers Band, the driving force behind Government Mule, and a living embodiment of everything that makes live music sacred.
This is Warren Haynes — and if you’ve ever seen him perform, you already know: the man was built for the stage.
So as the tours fire up and the festivals fill their lineups, sit back and take a walk with one of the legends who reminds us exactly why we go.
Join us for an inspiring musician interview with legendary guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Warren Haynes. Known for his iconic work with Gov’t Mule, The Allman Brothers Band, and countless collaborations, Warren Haynes opens up and reveals the inside music stories about his journey from the small towns of North Carolina to the biggest stages in rock and blues.
In this music history podcast, we explore Warren’s approach to songwriting, his philosophy on improvisation, and what it means to keep the spirit of Southern rock alive while constantly pushing creative boundaries. He shares iconic inside stories from the road, discusses his influences ranging from classic soul to psychedelic rock, and reflects on the importance of musical community and music history.
Warren Haynes also talks about his annual Christmas Jam benefit concert, his passion for mentoring young musicians, and how he’s maintained his artistic integrity across decades in the music industry. Whether discussing tone, technique, or the transcendent moments that happen when a band truly connects, Warren offers wisdom gained from a lifetime dedicated to his craft.
Enjoy his deep dive into the mind of one of rock’s most respected and soulful iconic guitarists and as we celebrate live and legendary April, see Warren Haynes at a venue this spring and summer near you.
Takin’ A Walk: In-depth music interviews exploring the stories and music history behind the songs
#live music history #music legends #warren haynes interview
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Taken a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
The stages are lit, the amps are warm, the crowds
are gathering. Welcome to April. I'm taking a Walk on
Buzz Night, and welcome to our brand new theme for April,
Live and Legendary. With the concert season brewing, we want
to go back to some of our favorite encore episodes
of the Taken a Walk Podcast because this is the
(00:23):
time of year when music stops being something you stream,
it becomes something you feel in your chest, in your feet,
in the air around you. Concert season is here, and
there's no better way to kick it off than by
revisiting one of the most electrifying conversations we've ever had
on this show. Today's encore guest is a man who
(00:45):
has spent decades doing what so few musicians ever truly master.
He makes every single night on stage feel like it
could be the greatest show you've ever seen. As a
guitar icon, vocalist, and songwriter, he's been the heart of
the Almun Brother's band, the driving force behind Government Mule,
and a living embodiment of everything that makes live music sacred.
(01:11):
This is Warren Haynes, and if you've ever seen him perform,
you already know the man was built for the stage.
So as the tours fire up and the festivals fill
their lineups, sit back and listen to one of the
legends who reminds us exactly why we go to shows.
(01:33):
Taking a Walk Warren Haynes, Welcome to the Taken a
Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Good to be back.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So we throw this little opening question out there, Warren.
It's one that sometimes mystifies people and the answers go
all over the place. So I'm not gonna let you
get away with with not trying to answer this one,
mister Warren Haines, if you could take a walk with
someone or dead, who would you take a walk with?
(02:02):
And where might you take that walk with them?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Sir?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Wow, that's sure. As a tough we would probably change
every day for like seventeen days in a row. If
you asked me that question, that's that's a great question.
I mean, Jimmy Hendrix, I don't know. I guess that
is as good to answer as any I have a
(02:28):
long list of people that would qualify for that wish list.
Where would that be? Maybe Central Park in New York.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
It's all good. Those are all perfect answers. This is
the thing.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
There's no right or wrong to the question, and to.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Your point, it can change by the day, for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, yeah, you know because people ask me a
lot about favorite albums, favorite artists, and if the lists
are so long that you know, it depends on what
mood I'm in, what creeps up to the top of
the list on any given day.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
We had this chap on the podcast previously named Devin
Almond and had a wonderful chat with him, and it's funny.
I was just remembering the interview and I wanted to
I wanted to validate it. And we can talk about
AI separately. But I went to this thing called Claude
(03:32):
AI and I said, during the Devin Almond Taking a
Walk episode, tell me what was discussed about Warren Haynes.
And it came back like a flood of great energy.
Not a flood is the wrong word, it said, Yes.
Devin Almond brought up Warren Haines multiple times on the
(03:52):
Taking a Walk podcast. He discussed sitting in with the
Almond Brothers and described having to stand between Warren Hanes
and Derek Truck's or Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts while
playing songs like One Way Out calling them the Jedi
Masters of guitar. And I even think he texted you
(04:13):
in the midst of the interview asked you a question,
but how does it make you feel being referred to
as one of the Jedi Masters of guitar by Devin?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Well, that's quite a compliment. You know. When I joined
the Allman Brothers in nineteen eighty nine, it brought on
such an overwhelming amount of recognition and acceptance and respect
and reverence. Because you know, I was a huge Allman
(04:45):
Brothers fan my entire life, and I assumed that other
people were as well. But I came to realize the
amount of respect that comes with being in that band,
not just by listeners, uh, but fellow musicians. You know,
(05:06):
every every door imaginable opened for me at that point,
and every musician that I would meet that I had
grown up listening to and admiring when instantly put me
on a level of respect, you know. And that's uh.
(05:29):
In some ways, I guess I wasn't expecting that or
prepared for that, but uh, the Allman Brothers music touched
so many people, but among musicians, you know, the the
amount of respect that fellow musicians have for that music
is pretty uncanny.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I remember that period, that early period when you when
you joined, and in fact was fortunate enough I live
outside of Boston, so I was fortunate enough when you
came through for one of those amazing it was called
Great Woods, yeah back then, And so I saw those
early days, and I saw the band's performance, and I
(06:09):
saw your work. How did you make that integration into
the band appear so easy?
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Well, I think it had a lot to do with
the fact that I was in Dickie Betts's band for
two or three years prior, and he and I had
spent all that time kind of honing in our thing,
and we had really learned how to play together in
a great way. And it also forced me to kind
(06:42):
of up my game in a lot of different ways,
regarding my tone, my style, my note selection, how to
come across on a bigger stage, and playing next to
him night after night after night was intimidating, but it
was also the best less than possible for me to
(07:03):
be prepared for joining a band like the Alma Brothers.
So by the time eighty nine roll around, it and
I found myself and the Alman Brothers I had had
that initiation and learning period. There was still a lot
of learning to be done, but I felt more relaxed
(07:23):
and ahead of the curve a little bit, you know,
and the fact that they allowed me from day one
to interject my own personality. You know, they were very
good about saying, hey, we chose you to play like you.
You know, we don't expect you to play more or
(07:45):
less like Duwayne Almend than you choose to play at
any moment. You're here to be yourself. And that was
very important because you know, I was very influenced by
Dwayne Alban, but I also didn't want to be copy
what he had done, and that's not what they wanted either.
They wanted somebody that had reverence for that music, but
(08:08):
that would bring their own personality. And I think in
hindsight that music demands that.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You did a beautiful job of it. I really admire
the way you made that all work. An incredible fan. So,
after nearly a decade away from solo albums, what made
this the right moment for you to return with a
Million Voices Whisper? What changed your life or perspective that
(08:35):
sparked this particular collection.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Well, I think it was mostly the COVID lockdown, and
not just because of the emotional impact that it had
on everyone, but because it forced songwriters to go into
hibernation and write more music than any of us had
written in decades, you know, and for speaking people that
(09:00):
have been writing songs for a long time, I wrote
more music during that time period than I've written since
I was probably thirty years old or something, and it
wound up turning into two Government Mule records. But then
I also had all these songs that I had written
that didn't seem like government mule songs, which inspired me
(09:22):
to keep writing in that direction and record Million Voices Whisper.
You know, I only do a solo record when it
seems like I've written enough songs that work together that
kind of want to be part of a collection of songs,
(09:43):
but they don't necessarily sound like government mule songs. Are
going back to when the Alma Brothers were recording that
don't sound like all my brothers songs. You know, Some
of these songs obviously could be interpreted that way, but
they all have their own of vibe and personality and
fit together. So I really attribute it mostly to that,
(10:07):
and uh, and I'm I'm glad that I was able
to find the the positive in such a dark time period.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And as someone who has just been you know, uh,
the epitome of a live performer and you and others
like you, that must have been just like chopping your
arm off.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, And to know that we couldn't travel, we couldn't tour,
we couldn't perform on stage, and wondering in the back
of all of our minds when and if that's going
to change. You know, we all thought, is this the
new normal, the new music business where people aren't gonna
(10:50):
be willing to be in live crowds like that? And
that that was a scary factor because that's what we do.
So as soon as we were able to be around
each other, we were all vaccinated and willing to go
into the studio, we just decided, well, the path forward
(11:11):
for us was to go make a couple of records
back to back and kind of feel normal again.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I want to talk about the special.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Real Real Love, including lyrics, you know, initially started by
Greg Allman and brought you back into the studio with
Derek Trucks for the first time since the Allman brother
Band had the final Sunset, Take us inside the session
and what it meant for you to complete Greg's words.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Well, let's go back to I got an email from
Bert Holman, who's the Alma Brothers manager, and he had
photo copied the handwritten lyrics that Greg had written for
that song and sent it to me and said, hey,
do you remember this song? And I remembered Greg showing
(12:09):
it to me, but we never worked on and he
never completed it. It just got put on the back burder.
But it all started coming back to me when I
saw the lyric and it was incomplete and there was
no music as far as anyone knows. So I instantly
(12:32):
started writing music for it. And then I started tweaking
the lyric and and and wrote some additional lyrics to it,
and it all came about really quickly. So I called
Derek and told him about it, and I said, I
really think we should record this song together, and of
course he was very into that idea, and then the
(12:57):
talk turned to, well, why don't we get together and
write some other songs and maybe think about recording half
of an album or something, you know, because in my
mind I was inspired to make another solo record, so
I talked to him about maybe co producing some stuff
with me. Initially, it was going to be at his
(13:19):
studio in Florida, but his studio was under construction and
wasn't going to be ready in the timeframe that we needed,
so we decided to just bring him up to Connecticut
where we were recording the other stuff. And it was
great to have him in the studio for those three days.
(13:40):
And we spent three days at his farm in Georgia
writing and then three days in the studio recording, and
a lot of magical stuff happened, real real love. You know,
it sounds a little trite or cliche or cheesy to say,
but Greg's presence was felt through that entire process, you know.
(14:03):
And the fact that Derek and I are in the
same room would sing I'm singing, and he's trading answers
with me on the slade guitar, and we're recording live
as it should be. It just all came together in
a really wonderful way, and that kind of inspired us
(14:24):
to want to do a lot more stuff to go.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I love it, And I was going to ask you,
did you feel the presence of Greg? So you answered
the follow up question because I would imagine that that
would be possible.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yeah, no question about that. And I wanted to for
the first time ever to honor someone else's style to
that extent, you know, down to the core changes and
the melody and the way I approached the vocal harmonizing
(15:05):
with myself and the intro similar to what he did
on some of the songs on Laid Back. I just
it gave me the perfect reason to go a little
further down that path than I normally would as far
as utilizing someone else's influence.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Then there's this little band called Government Mule, which is
celebrating thirty three to zero, thirty years since that self
titled debut. What is the secret to that band's longevity?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Good question. I think probably the fact that we all
know that we have a unique chemistry in the way
we play together and we all still get along, which
is pretty uncanny for a band that's been going as
long as we have. And I think think part of
it is also that since we didn't start out as
(16:05):
a real band. We started out as a side project
to the Almen Brothers, thinking that we are going to
make one record, do a short too, or then get
back to life as normal. It kind of caught fire
and took off on its own, and so we were
faced with the challenge of making decisions about our future
(16:27):
one step at a time. You know, whatever felt good
at that moment, that's what we did. And we were
never trying to second guess what we thought people expected
from us, or what the music business expected from us.
We just were making decisions based on what seemed like
the most fun and knowing that, you know, this might
(16:50):
be our last record. We didn't know we were going
to make a second record, or a third record, or
a fifth record, or now we have thirteen studio records.
We're about to play our twenty five hundredth show in
a few days, and that's just something I never would
have ever guessed.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Congratulations, my god.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I want to talk about community, and in particular after
the terrible Hurricane Helene, the Christmas Jam, which was an
amazing act of generosity and bringing community together and soulshine
in particular. I mean they you know, at the garden
with Dave Matthews and so many others. What did that
(17:38):
teach you, maybe that you already didn't know about the
power of community and how music is so important.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Well. It brought into focus and solidified my belief that
musicians loved to give back because not so because, but
partially because we all appreciate and are extremely grateful to
(18:08):
be able to do what we love for a living,
and so something as easy as playing music on a
night off to raise money for charity, it's so much
easier than people might expect because that's what we do.
Musicians love to play music, whether it's work or behind
(18:32):
the scenes or whatever the case, and it reminds us
all of why we started playing music in the first place.
It was for the joy of doing it, and so
if you can turn that into helping others in your community,
it's just not only a win win, but it's an
easy thing to do. And that's why I encourage people
(18:53):
to get involved and charity work, not if it's a half,
but find a way of doing it that works with
your life and that makes you feel better. It's you know,
that soul Shine experience at Madison Square Garden was fantastic,
and we knew that the music was going to be special.
(19:15):
What those people coming together to help other people always is.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
There was another special Madison Square Garden moment, Little moment
twenty twenty five, the Brothers showing up at that amazing venue.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
What did that moment mean to you?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Well, you know, Jamo was the catalyst for that, bringing
us all back together. He called everybody and said we
need to play, and everybody agreed, and everybody was instantly
on board. And we knew in twenty twenty when we
(19:55):
did the one show right before COVID it was an
extremely special thing, emotional but cathartic and inspiring, and that
group of musicians playing that music is just special. Doesn't
do it justice. You know, we all felt it even
(20:17):
more than any of us expected right from the beginning
of the rehearsals, and this time around, doing two nights,
it seemed even a step beyond where we were in
twenty twenty. It just felt so natural and so beautiful
and so much the right thing to do for ourselves,
(20:38):
for the audience. You know, it was just two nights
of music that I'll shareish forever.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So You've been a Gibson man your whole career, and
in twenty twenty five you finally got your signature. Less Paul,
what took so long?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, it's a bit confusing because I we Gibson worked
with me in the past on a signature Les Paul
Wind on a signature EES three thirty five, but they
were limited edition, and this is the first time we're
making them readily available, which means a lot, because I
think it's wonderful that a young guitar player or not
(21:21):
so young guitar player can take my suggestion that I
think you might enjoy playing this guitar. It's beautiful, it
sounds great, it plays great, it's it's comfortable in my hands,
and if someone uses that as a reason to try
it out and really loves it, then that's that's an
(21:42):
amazing thing. And yeah, you're right. I've been a Gibson
guy my entire life. My first decent guitar was a
Gibson and almost every guitar I've played since then.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
So you've worked with everybody from Dave Matthews to Dolly
Parton to Chris Stapleton to the Grateful Dead Family. What
do you personally look for when you consider the art
of collaboration.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Well, it has to be something that I enjoy. I'm
lucky enough at this point in my career and have
been for quite some time to be busy enough to
where I'll always do something if it's appealing to me.
In the old days, when I was doing studio work,
(22:34):
when I first started out, you take every session that
comes along the way, regardless of how you feel about
it musically or emotionally. But I was fortunate enough to
make the decision that that's not what I want to do.
I want to play my music and pursue what I love,
and I've been fortunately successful with that. And so now
(22:58):
if a situation comes around that is really appealing to me,
I'll make time to do it. But otherwise my schedule
is pretty packed, so whenever I do something, it has
my stamp of proof.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
So in closing the subtitle for a Million Voices, Whisper
could be questioning, certainly, how to make things better in
love and in life in the world. At this stage
of your great career in life, what are the biggest
questions that you're wrestling with and can you share with
(23:36):
how music has sort of helped you find some of
those answers.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Well, speaking for myself, you know how to be a
better person, a better father, a better friend, a better husband,
a better artist and musician and singer and songwriter. You know,
I think those of us who choose to do what
(24:01):
we love are it's a blessing, you know, But we
also put a lot of pressure on ourselves, you know,
and so and that's a good thing in healthy doses,
it's definitely a good thing. But I also feel like
people have to come together at this point to make
(24:23):
the world a better place. It's not going to happen
if we're waiting on politicians to change it. It's going
to be up to the people to demand that we
make the world a better place and a more loving,
caring place and leave the planet in good shape for
(24:43):
children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. You know. I know
that answer went all over the map, but I kind
of feel like that's where my head is these days.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I am so grateful for this opportunity to sink back
up with you and talk to you. Such a fan,
and so grateful for all you continue to give us warnings,
and thank you for being on the Taking a Walk podcast,
and thank you for everything.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
My pleasure good to see it.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I'm Buzznight, and thanks for listening to the Taking a
Walk podcast. Now, please check out our companion podcasts produced
by Buzznight Media Productions. With your host Lynn Hoffman music
Save Me, showcasing the healing power of music, and comedy
Save Me shining a light on how laughter is the
best medicine. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
(25:38):
and are part of the iHeart podcast network.
Taken a Walk.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
The stages are lit, the amps are warm, the crowds
are gathering. Welcome to April. I'm taking a Walk on
Buzz Night, and welcome to our brand new theme for April,
Live and Legendary. With the concert season brewing, we want
to go back to some of our favorite encore episodes
of the Taken a Walk Podcast because this is the
(00:23):
time of year when music stops being something you stream,
it becomes something you feel in your chest, in your feet,
in the air around you. Concert season is here, and
there's no better way to kick it off than by
revisiting one of the most electrifying conversations we've ever had
on this show. Today's encore guest is a man who
(00:45):
has spent decades doing what so few musicians ever truly master.
He makes every single night on stage feel like it
could be the greatest show you've ever seen. As a
guitar icon, vocalist, and songwriter, he's been the heart of
the Almun Brother's band, the driving force behind Government Mule,
and a living embodiment of everything that makes live music sacred.
(01:11):
This is Warren Haynes, and if you've ever seen him perform,
you already know the man was built for the stage.
So as the tours fire up and the festivals fill
their lineups, sit back and listen to one of the
legends who reminds us exactly why we go to shows.
(01:33):
Taking a Walk Warren Haynes, Welcome to the Taken a
Walk Podcast.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Good to be back.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
So we throw this little opening question out there, Warren.
It's one that sometimes mystifies people and the answers go
all over the place. So I'm not gonna let you
get away with with not trying to answer this one,
mister Warren Haines, if you could take a walk with
someone or dead, who would you take a walk with?
(02:02):
And where might you take that walk with them?
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Sir?
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Wow, that's sure. As a tough we would probably change
every day for like seventeen days in a row. If
you asked me that question, that's that's a great question.
I mean, Jimmy Hendrix, I don't know. I guess that
is as good to answer as any I have a
(02:28):
long list of people that would qualify for that wish list.
Where would that be? Maybe Central Park in New York.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
It's all good. Those are all perfect answers. This is
the thing.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
There's no right or wrong to the question, and to.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
Your point, it can change by the day, for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
You know, yeah, you know because people ask me a
lot about favorite albums, favorite artists, and if the lists
are so long that you know, it depends on what
mood I'm in, what creeps up to the top of
the list on any given day.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
I get it. I get it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
We had this chap on the podcast previously named Devin
Almond and had a wonderful chat with him, and it's funny.
I was just remembering the interview and I wanted to
I wanted to validate it. And we can talk about
AI separately. But I went to this thing called Claude
(03:32):
AI and I said, during the Devin Almond Taking a
Walk episode, tell me what was discussed about Warren Haynes.
And it came back like a flood of great energy.
Not a flood is the wrong word, it said, Yes.
Devin Almond brought up Warren Haines multiple times on the
(03:52):
Taking a Walk podcast. He discussed sitting in with the
Almond Brothers and described having to stand between Warren Hanes
and Derek Truck's or Warren Haynes and Dicky Betts while
playing songs like One Way Out calling them the Jedi
Masters of guitar. And I even think he texted you
(04:13):
in the midst of the interview asked you a question,
but how does it make you feel being referred to
as one of the Jedi Masters of guitar by Devin?
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Well, that's quite a compliment. You know. When I joined
the Allman Brothers in nineteen eighty nine, it brought on
such an overwhelming amount of recognition and acceptance and respect
and reverence. Because you know, I was a huge Allman
(04:45):
Brothers fan my entire life, and I assumed that other
people were as well. But I came to realize the
amount of respect that comes with being in that band,
not just by listeners, uh, but fellow musicians. You know,
(05:06):
every every door imaginable opened for me at that point,
and every musician that I would meet that I had
grown up listening to and admiring when instantly put me
on a level of respect, you know. And that's uh.
(05:29):
In some ways, I guess I wasn't expecting that or
prepared for that, but uh, the Allman Brothers music touched
so many people, but among musicians, you know, the the
amount of respect that fellow musicians have for that music
is pretty uncanny.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
I remember that period, that early period when you when
you joined, and in fact was fortunate enough I live
outside of Boston, so I was fortunate enough when you
came through for one of those amazing it was called
Great Woods, yeah back then, And so I saw those
early days, and I saw the band's performance, and I
(06:09):
saw your work. How did you make that integration into
the band appear so easy?
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Well, I think it had a lot to do with
the fact that I was in Dickie Betts's band for
two or three years prior, and he and I had
spent all that time kind of honing in our thing,
and we had really learned how to play together in
a great way. And it also forced me to kind
(06:42):
of up my game in a lot of different ways,
regarding my tone, my style, my note selection, how to
come across on a bigger stage, and playing next to
him night after night after night was intimidating, but it
was also the best less than possible for me to
(07:03):
be prepared for joining a band like the Alma Brothers.
So by the time eighty nine roll around, it and
I found myself and the Alman Brothers I had had
that initiation and learning period. There was still a lot
of learning to be done, but I felt more relaxed
(07:23):
and ahead of the curve a little bit, you know,
and the fact that they allowed me from day one
to interject my own personality. You know, they were very
good about saying, hey, we chose you to play like you.
You know, we don't expect you to play more or
(07:45):
less like Duwayne Almend than you choose to play at
any moment. You're here to be yourself. And that was
very important because you know, I was very influenced by
Dwayne Alban, but I also didn't want to be copy
what he had done, and that's not what they wanted either.
They wanted somebody that had reverence for that music, but
(08:08):
that would bring their own personality. And I think in
hindsight that music demands that.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
You did a beautiful job of it. I really admire
the way you made that all work. An incredible fan. So,
after nearly a decade away from solo albums, what made
this the right moment for you to return with a
Million Voices Whisper? What changed your life or perspective that
(08:35):
sparked this particular collection.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Well, I think it was mostly the COVID lockdown, and
not just because of the emotional impact that it had
on everyone, but because it forced songwriters to go into
hibernation and write more music than any of us had
written in decades, you know, and for speaking people that
(09:00):
have been writing songs for a long time, I wrote
more music during that time period than I've written since
I was probably thirty years old or something, and it
wound up turning into two Government Mule records. But then
I also had all these songs that I had written
that didn't seem like government mule songs, which inspired me
(09:22):
to keep writing in that direction and record Million Voices Whisper.
You know, I only do a solo record when it
seems like I've written enough songs that work together that
kind of want to be part of a collection of songs,
(09:43):
but they don't necessarily sound like government mule songs. Are
going back to when the Alma Brothers were recording that
don't sound like all my brothers songs. You know, Some
of these songs obviously could be interpreted that way, but
they all have their own of vibe and personality and
fit together. So I really attribute it mostly to that,
(10:07):
and uh, and I'm I'm glad that I was able
to find the the positive in such a dark time period.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
And as someone who has just been you know, uh,
the epitome of a live performer and you and others
like you, that must have been just like chopping your
arm off.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Yeah, And to know that we couldn't travel, we couldn't tour,
we couldn't perform on stage, and wondering in the back
of all of our minds when and if that's going
to change. You know, we all thought, is this the
new normal, the new music business where people aren't gonna
(10:50):
be willing to be in live crowds like that? And
that that was a scary factor because that's what we do.
So as soon as we were able to be around
each other, we were all vaccinated and willing to go
into the studio, we just decided, well, the path forward
(11:11):
for us was to go make a couple of records
back to back and kind of feel normal again.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I want to talk about the special.
Speaker 2 (11:23):
Real Real Love, including lyrics, you know, initially started by
Greg Allman and brought you back into the studio with
Derek Trucks for the first time since the Allman brother
Band had the final Sunset, Take us inside the session
and what it meant for you to complete Greg's words.
Speaker 3 (11:45):
Well, let's go back to I got an email from
Bert Holman, who's the Alma Brothers manager, and he had
photo copied the handwritten lyrics that Greg had written for
that song and sent it to me and said, hey,
do you remember this song? And I remembered Greg showing
(12:09):
it to me, but we never worked on and he
never completed it. It just got put on the back burder.
But it all started coming back to me when I
saw the lyric and it was incomplete and there was
no music as far as anyone knows. So I instantly
(12:32):
started writing music for it. And then I started tweaking
the lyric and and and wrote some additional lyrics to it,
and it all came about really quickly. So I called
Derek and told him about it, and I said, I
really think we should record this song together, and of
course he was very into that idea, and then the
(12:57):
talk turned to, well, why don't we get together and
write some other songs and maybe think about recording half
of an album or something, you know, because in my
mind I was inspired to make another solo record, so
I talked to him about maybe co producing some stuff
with me. Initially, it was going to be at his
(13:19):
studio in Florida, but his studio was under construction and
wasn't going to be ready in the timeframe that we needed,
so we decided to just bring him up to Connecticut
where we were recording the other stuff. And it was
great to have him in the studio for those three days.
(13:40):
And we spent three days at his farm in Georgia
writing and then three days in the studio recording, and
a lot of magical stuff happened, real real love. You know,
it sounds a little trite or cliche or cheesy to say,
but Greg's presence was felt through that entire process, you know.
(14:03):
And the fact that Derek and I are in the
same room would sing I'm singing, and he's trading answers
with me on the slade guitar, and we're recording live
as it should be. It just all came together in
a really wonderful way, and that kind of inspired us
(14:24):
to want to do a lot more stuff to go.
Speaker 2 (14:27):
I love it, And I was going to ask you,
did you feel the presence of Greg? So you answered
the follow up question because I would imagine that that
would be possible.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
Yeah, no question about that. And I wanted to for
the first time ever to honor someone else's style to
that extent, you know, down to the core changes and
the melody and the way I approached the vocal harmonizing
(15:05):
with myself and the intro similar to what he did
on some of the songs on Laid Back. I just
it gave me the perfect reason to go a little
further down that path than I normally would as far
as utilizing someone else's influence.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
It's fantastic.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Then there's this little band called Government Mule, which is
celebrating thirty three to zero, thirty years since that self
titled debut. What is the secret to that band's longevity?
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Good question. I think probably the fact that we all
know that we have a unique chemistry in the way
we play together and we all still get along, which
is pretty uncanny for a band that's been going as
long as we have. And I think think part of
it is also that since we didn't start out as
(16:05):
a real band. We started out as a side project
to the Almen Brothers, thinking that we are going to
make one record, do a short too, or then get
back to life as normal. It kind of caught fire
and took off on its own, and so we were
faced with the challenge of making decisions about our future
(16:27):
one step at a time. You know, whatever felt good
at that moment, that's what we did. And we were
never trying to second guess what we thought people expected
from us, or what the music business expected from us.
We just were making decisions based on what seemed like
the most fun and knowing that, you know, this might
(16:50):
be our last record. We didn't know we were going
to make a second record, or a third record, or
a fifth record, or now we have thirteen studio records.
We're about to play our twenty five hundredth show in
a few days, and that's just something I never would
have ever guessed.
Speaker 1 (17:11):
Congratulations, my god.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
I want to talk about community, and in particular after
the terrible Hurricane Helene, the Christmas Jam, which was an
amazing act of generosity and bringing community together and soulshine
in particular. I mean they you know, at the garden
with Dave Matthews and so many others. What did that
(17:38):
teach you, maybe that you already didn't know about the
power of community and how music is so important.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Well. It brought into focus and solidified my belief that
musicians loved to give back because not so because, but
partially because we all appreciate and are extremely grateful to
(18:08):
be able to do what we love for a living,
and so something as easy as playing music on a
night off to raise money for charity, it's so much
easier than people might expect because that's what we do.
Musicians love to play music, whether it's work or behind
(18:32):
the scenes or whatever the case, and it reminds us
all of why we started playing music in the first place.
It was for the joy of doing it, and so
if you can turn that into helping others in your community,
it's just not only a win win, but it's an
easy thing to do. And that's why I encourage people
(18:53):
to get involved and charity work, not if it's a half,
but find a way of doing it that works with
your life and that makes you feel better. It's you know,
that soul Shine experience at Madison Square Garden was fantastic,
and we knew that the music was going to be special.
(19:15):
What those people coming together to help other people always is.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
There was another special Madison Square Garden moment, Little moment
twenty twenty five, the Brothers showing up at that amazing venue.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
What did that moment mean to you?
Speaker 3 (19:35):
Well, you know, Jamo was the catalyst for that, bringing
us all back together. He called everybody and said we
need to play, and everybody agreed, and everybody was instantly
on board. And we knew in twenty twenty when we
(19:55):
did the one show right before COVID it was an
extremely special thing, emotional but cathartic and inspiring, and that
group of musicians playing that music is just special. Doesn't
do it justice. You know, we all felt it even
(20:17):
more than any of us expected right from the beginning
of the rehearsals, and this time around, doing two nights,
it seemed even a step beyond where we were in
twenty twenty. It just felt so natural and so beautiful
and so much the right thing to do for ourselves,
(20:38):
for the audience. You know, it was just two nights
of music that I'll shareish forever.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
So You've been a Gibson man your whole career, and
in twenty twenty five you finally got your signature. Less Paul,
what took so long?
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well, it's a bit confusing because I we Gibson worked
with me in the past on a signature Les Paul
Wind on a signature EES three thirty five, but they
were limited edition, and this is the first time we're
making them readily available, which means a lot, because I
think it's wonderful that a young guitar player or not
(21:21):
so young guitar player can take my suggestion that I
think you might enjoy playing this guitar. It's beautiful, it
sounds great, it plays great, it's it's comfortable in my hands,
and if someone uses that as a reason to try
it out and really loves it, then that's that's an
(21:42):
amazing thing. And yeah, you're right. I've been a Gibson
guy my entire life. My first decent guitar was a
Gibson and almost every guitar I've played since then.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
So you've worked with everybody from Dave Matthews to Dolly
Parton to Chris Stapleton to the Grateful Dead Family. What
do you personally look for when you consider the art
of collaboration.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Well, it has to be something that I enjoy. I'm
lucky enough at this point in my career and have
been for quite some time to be busy enough to
where I'll always do something if it's appealing to me.
In the old days, when I was doing studio work,
(22:34):
when I first started out, you take every session that
comes along the way, regardless of how you feel about
it musically or emotionally. But I was fortunate enough to
make the decision that that's not what I want to do.
I want to play my music and pursue what I love,
and I've been fortunately successful with that. And so now
(22:58):
if a situation comes around that is really appealing to me,
I'll make time to do it. But otherwise my schedule
is pretty packed, so whenever I do something, it has
my stamp of proof.
Speaker 2 (23:14):
So in closing the subtitle for a Million Voices, Whisper
could be questioning, certainly, how to make things better in
love and in life in the world. At this stage
of your great career in life, what are the biggest
questions that you're wrestling with and can you share with
(23:36):
how music has sort of helped you find some of
those answers.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Well, speaking for myself, you know how to be a
better person, a better father, a better friend, a better husband,
a better artist and musician and singer and songwriter. You know,
I think those of us who choose to do what
(24:01):
we love are it's a blessing, you know, But we
also put a lot of pressure on ourselves, you know,
and so and that's a good thing in healthy doses,
it's definitely a good thing. But I also feel like
people have to come together at this point to make
(24:23):
the world a better place. It's not going to happen
if we're waiting on politicians to change it. It's going
to be up to the people to demand that we
make the world a better place and a more loving,
caring place and leave the planet in good shape for
(24:43):
children and grandchildren and great grandchildren. You know. I know
that answer went all over the map, but I kind
of feel like that's where my head is these days.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
I am so grateful for this opportunity to sink back
up with you and talk to you. Such a fan,
and so grateful for all you continue to give us warnings,
and thank you for being on the Taking a Walk podcast,
and thank you for everything.
Speaker 3 (25:09):
My pleasure good to see it.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I'm Buzznight, and thanks for listening to the Taking a
Walk podcast. Now, please check out our companion podcasts produced
by Buzznight Media Productions. With your host Lynn Hoffman music
Save Me, showcasing the healing power of music, and comedy
Save Me shining a light on how laughter is the
best medicine. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
(25:38):
and are part of the iHeart podcast network.
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