Renowned GRAMMY-nominated band Gov’t Mule, led by guitar legend, vocalist, songwriter and producer Warren Haynes (whose performances last weekend at Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concert at the Hollywood Bowl were an event highlight), has released the new single “Same As It Ever Was,” the opening track of their forthcoming studio album, Peace…Like A River, out June 16th via Fantasy Records. “Same As It Ever Was” features a soaring arrangement – anchored by Jorgen Carlsson’s thunderous bass and Matt Abts’ precise yet soulful drumming – that helps bring the song’s heartfelt sentiments home.
Gov’t Mule has also shared a behind the song video for “Same As It Ever Was”. Peace…Like A River, the band’s 12th studio album and follow-up to Gov’t Mule’s chart-topping, Grammy-nominated blues album, Heavy Load Blues, is available to pre-order and pre-save on DSPs – PRESS HERE. Each digital pre-save will include an instant download of “Same As It Ever Was” and the previously released single “Dreaming Out Loud” featuring Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster.
“‘Same As It Ever Was’ is such an opus, an expansive piece. It goes in all these different directions, but lyrically and conceptually it makes sense to be the opening track,” shares Haynes. “Life throws challenges at you when you least expect it, but in some ways, the disruption of the lockdown period is no different than what could happen at any given moment. We’ve all dealt with what in some cases seem like insurmountable hardships, but in my lifetime, the pandemic is the first time that the entire planet went through it together. The whole message of the tune is we’ve come a long way, but now we’re on the other side and life is normal, life is good. Same as it ever was.”
The album’s lead single “Dreaming Out Loud” featuring Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster is currently impacting Triple A radio nationwide. For the stirring song, Haynes wove together inspirational quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert and John Kennedy, and the late civil rights leader and U.S. Representative John Lewis. PRESS HERE to watch a behind the song video from Haynes about “Dreaming Out Loud.”
Peace…Like A River was recorded during the same sessions as Heavy Load Blues at The Power Station New England with co-producer John Paterno (Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Los Lobos) alongside Haynes. The albums, however, were created in different rooms, with no shared gear or instruments, keeping the two concurrent projects with their own unique identity and character. One distinguishing difference on Peace…Like A River is the presence of talented friends in important guest roles, including Billy F Gibbons, Billy Bob Thornton and Celisse as well as Ivan Neville and Ruthie Foster. Thematically, the new 12-song rock collection explores the seismic changes the world has gone through over the past few years. Influenced both in his songwriting and playing by what Haynes calls “the golden era of rock, soul, jazz and blues,” Gov’t Mule combines the best and most enduring qualities from all those musical strains to create a timeless piece of art on Peace…Like A River that could have easily come out in the 1970s. Peace…Like A River will also be available in a Deluxe Edition (on CD only) including the special 5-track Time Of The Signs Bonus EP in addition to the original 12 tracks.
Tonight (May 5th), Gov’t Mule – Warren Haynes [guitar, vocals], Matt Abts [drums], Danny Louis [keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals], and Jorgen Carlsson [bass] – kicks off their spring headlining tour in New Orleans for a special show during Jazz Fest featuring special guests George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners. The band’s show at the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Friday, May 12th will feature surprise special guests and be livestreamed for free via nugs.net exclusively for subscribers – PRESS HERE to subscribe and watch. The 10-date spring run then wraps in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, NC with back-to-back shows at Salvage Station’s Outdoor Stage on May 19th and 20th. Gov’t Mule will head to the West Coast and Midwest in June for a mix of headlining shows and dates with The Avett Brothers before launching their Dark Side of the Mule Tour on July 29th. The 21-date summer amphitheater outing, produced by Live Nation, will feature a full Gov’t Mule set leading into their extremely rare Pink Floyd tribute Dark Side of the Mule, in addition to special guest Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, and will mark the final time Mule will perform the acclaimed set, which first debuted in 2008 and has only been performed live 10 times in total. Additionally, Gov’t Mule will perform select dates on Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival Tour this summer and fall as well as various festival appearances. The band’s New Year’s Run from last year has also been rescheduled for December 29th in Philadelphia and December 30th and 31st in New York City. See below for full list of upcoming tour dates and visit https://mule.net/for ticketing details and to purchase.
GOV’T MULE TOUR DATES
May 5 – New Orleans, LA @ Orpheum Theater ^
May 6 – Memphis, TN @ Beale Street Music Festival ~
May 7 – Evansville, IN @ Victory Theatre
May 9 – Cleveland, OH @ TempleLive Cleveland
May 11 – Ashland, KY @ Paramount Arts Center
May 12 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
May 14 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
May 16 – Macon, GA @ Macon City Auditorium
May 18 – Augusta, GA @ Miller Theater
May 19 – Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station – Outdoor Stage **
May 20 – Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station – Outdoor Stage ^^
June 9 – Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion
June 10 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
June 11 – Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Resort Southern California
June 13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden Amphitheater
June 15 – Kansas City, MO @ Grinders KC
June 16 – Camdenton, MO @ Ozarks Amphitheater +
June 17 – Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP +
June 18 – Wichita, KS @ TempleLive
June 20 – Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic Center Theater +
June 22 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ Alliant Energy Power House +
June 23 – Mankato, MN @ Vetter Stone Amphitheater
June 24 – Fargo, ND @ Outdoors at Fargo Brewing Company
July 22 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena *
July 23 – Patchogue, NY @ Great South Bay Music Festival ~*
July 25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE *#
July 26 – Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! *#
July 28 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center *#
July 29 – Bethel, NY @ Beth Woods Center for the Arts %
July 30 – Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Amphitheater %
August 2 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre *
August 3 – Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center *
August 4 – Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre *
August 5 – Council Bluffs, IA @ Stir Concert Cove – Harrah’s Council Bluffs *
August 7 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
August 9 – Dallas, TX @ Dos Equis Pavilion *
August 11 – Charlotte, NC @ PNC Music Pavilion *
August 12 – Atlanta, GA @ Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park *
August 13 – Cincinnati, OH @ PNC Pavilion at Riverbend Music Center %
August 15 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater *
August 17 – Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion *
August 18 – Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion *
August 19 – Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center *
August 20 – Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap *
September 16 – Fredericton, Canada @ Harvest Music Festival ~
October 6 – West Palm Beach, FL @ iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre %
October 7 – Tampa, FL @ MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre %
October 8 – Orange Beach, AL @ The Amphitheater at The Wharf %
October 15 – Columbus, GA @ RushSouth Fest ~
December 29 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
December 30 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
December 31 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
^ with special guests George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners
** with special guest Neil Francis
^^ with special guest Maggie Rose
~ festival appearance
+ with The Avett Brothers
% Outlaw Music Festival dates
* Dark Side of the Mule dates
# Gov’t Mule only/No Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening
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