Gov’t Mule has released a new video titled “Locked Down”, which sees members Warren Haynes (guitar/vocals), Matt Abts (drums), Danny Louis (keys/guitar/vocals), and Jorgen Carlsson (bass) discuss a variety of topics related to Mule’s forthcoming album, Heavy Load Blues. The band’s forthcoming studio effort is due out on November 12th via Fantasy Records.
Clocking in at just over five minutes, “Locked Down” features sit-down interviews with members of Gov’t Mule overlayed atop audio of the band playing Willie Dixon‘s “You Know My Love”.
Related: Gov’t Mule Jams Out Junior Wells’ “Snatch It Back And Hold It” For New Blues Album [Video]
“Once COVID hit and it was obvious that we were all going to be isolated for a long period of time, I really found myself writing constantly, for several reasons,” said Haynes at the beginning of the video. He went on to explain that as the band, along with the rest of the music industry, struggled with the sudden halt in live performances, he took full advantage of his free time.
“I write on the road but I write much better at home, and I haven’t been home this long since I was 15 years old,” he continued with a laugh. “It afforded me an opportunity to reacquaint myself with my studio and get caught up with gear … in service of writing new music.”
Abts, who had a noticeable smile sitting in the studio, explained that he spent a large portion of the last 18 months self-reflecting in addition to keeping himself in shape for the long road of touring ahead.
“Was there anything I missed all these years?” Abts questioned. “You were able to touch on things like that, you know? ‘What do I need to do that I haven’t done yet?’ That was kind of the attitude.”
If nothing else, the interview shed light on the impact life as a touring musician can have on one’s personal relationships, which is something that most artists surely battle with year in and year out.
Bassist Jorgen Carlsson said that he, like the rest of us, felt a slight panic during the first few months of lockdowns, but after a while learned to appreciate the little things, such as spending time with loved ones.
“I spent time with my family. Spent a whole year with my son. It was good,” Carlsson said.
Louis felt the same, saying, “Most inspirationally, my wife and I got to reconnect in a way that we haven’t in a really long time.” Louis continued by echoing the sentiments of the Gov’t Mule frontman, “It afforded me the opportunity to work on my chops.”
Another common theme present throughout the video is each band member’s deliberate effort to learn a new skill or improve old ones that might benefit them both in their solo professional careers, as well as the band itself.
“The first few months, slight panic, I didn’t know what to do, how to make money,” Carlsson expounded. “After a while I started picking up work, working out of my home studio, producing, recording, mixing, and stuff like that.”
Louis followed with a similar sentiment: “Most excitedly for me is, I really got to practice piano … As I told you, I sort of came by piano in a crisis … I never sat down and really said ‘okay, what do you want to learn? Is it going to take six months? If it does, let’s get started.’ I was ready for this … I didn’t want to come back and play my same old same old and feel that. I wanted to come back, ‘hey I baked a cake, you want to try it?'”
As the video drew to an end, Abts and Haynes expressed their excitement for what’s to come. While nobody enjoyed the circumstances that led to a year-plus sheltered in place, the members of Gov’t Mule made the best of their time and are ready to make the next years of making music some of their best.
Below, check out the full “Locked Down” video from Gov’t Mule. Head here to pre-order the band’s forthcoming Heavy Load Blues album. Mule is currently on tour, with shows in Los Angeles, CA (10/18) and Napa, CA (10/20) ahead of the band’s annual Mule-O-Ween shows at The Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA (10/29–10/30). Click here for tickets and more information.
Gov’t Mule – “Locked Down”
[Video: Gov’t Mule]