Gov't Mule

Gov't Mule

GOV'T MULE RULES
Guitarist Warren Haynes Talks About Life After the Allmans -- and the Power of the Trio
When guitarist Warren Haynes decided he needed to kill time between Allman Brothers Band projects a few years back, he could have taken up a hobby -- bow-hunting, like Ted Nugent, for instance. Instead, Haynes decided to take a busman's holiday and, with the help of fellow ABB member Alan Woody, formed Gov't Mule. Markedly heavier than most folks expected from the beginning, the trio kicked it up another notch volume-wise after Haynes and Woody quit the Allmans to concentrate on kicking out the jams full-time two years later. Since then, the Mule has plowed a number of odd paths, earning kudos from metal maniacs and improv aficionados alike -- a scope that's likely to broaden even more, thanks to their new studio outing LIFE BEFORE INSANITY.

barnesandnoble.com: Although you don't do quite the same thing, you've been lumped in with the so-called "jam bands" of the past few years. Is that a fair description of Gov't Mule?

Warren Haynes: Improvisation is the lifeblood of the band, but most of the bands that are described that way take a lot of cues from the Dead, and that's really not part of what we do. We're more rooted in Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, even the Allman Brothers to some extent. Both are legitimate avenues for exploration, but we're all drawn to the power aspect of a power trio and I see a lot of the bands around today as being lighter.

bn.com: Is it difficult for you, as a band known largely for live improvisation, to capture a studio version of a song that you're all completely happy with?

WH: It's always tough to say "This is the definitive version" when there's no audience to play off and limited time to work. Chances are, you won't be able to get the best performance you'll ever do in the studio, so through the years, we've learned not to nitpick too much. If there are a few mistakes, so what? If you're giving 110 percent and you're out on the edge, you might play a little less than perfectly…it's a tradeoff we're willing to make.

bn.com: As the sole guitarist, do you feel more pressure or more freedom in the context of the band?

WH: It is quite a challenge. It frees me up in a lot of ways, since a trio can do more collective improvisation without risking a train wreck. On the other hand, a lot of times, I can be really naked out there.

bn.com: On LIFE BEFORE INSANITY, you do a cover of Robert Johnson's "If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day." Is he tricky to cover, given all the baggage that comes along with his legacy?

WH: It's only tough because so many people have covered him in the past -- although that particular song hasn't really been done very often. We worked it up because we were asked to be part of the Robert Johnson tribute at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, and ended up liking the song enough to put it on this album.

bn.com: This album seems more structured, more textured than your previous studio sets. Were you consciously moving in that direction?

WH: As we were thinking about going into the studio, we were talking about making a more produced record and worrying less about duplicating it live. The first album was a snapshot of a trio live in the studio; the second was slightly more produced. As a player and a songwriter, I'm always eager to paint in colors I haven't used before.

bn.com: How do you think that's manifested most clearly on LIFE BEFORE INSANITY?

WH: There are quite a few things, from basic things like trying out different time signatures and so on to bringing in different people to collaborate. When we first met Ben Harper on the HORDE tour in 1998, we knew we'd like to work together, so when we came up with "Lay Your Burden Down," it seemed like a perfect match. He heard the tape and agreed. That's one of the things I'm happiest with.

bn.com: As you said, Gov't Mule is really rooted in classic blues-rock. Are there other inspirations going on that might surprise people?

WH: Plenty of them, from Frank Sinatra to Coltrane to -- I'll tell you one in particular. Not that long ago, we were working on cover songs, and I put on Black Sabbath's PARANOID, which was probably part of the high-school listening experience of everyone my age. I thought it would sound silly at this point in time, but it's amazing. I can't imagine why I ever stopped listening to them.