GOV'T MULE - Shout!

Blue Note Records has signed legendary rock band Gov't Mule and will release "Shout!" – the group’s first studio album in four years – on September 24. And in an unprecedented twist and gift to their fans, a special bonus CD will also be included, which includes the 11 tracks from the album but in different versions with each one sung by a different world class special guest and friend of the band. Further details will be announced shortly.  

“The Mule holds a unique and lofty berth. They have roots that run real deep — drawing from the entire history of rock ‘n’ roll going all the way back to Robert Johnson and the Delta,” noted Blue Note Records’ President Don Was. “Yet, despite their mastery of past idioms, they have managed to rearrange those elements into a whole new thing. On this new album, they've elevated their songwriting, playing, and production values to a whole new plateau. It’s gonna blow people's minds.”

“I’ve been a huge jazz fan since my early teens. I have hundreds of jazz cd’s in my collection and I can honestly say that the majority are Blue Note recordings,” said Warren Haynes, singer-guitarist for Gov’t Mule. “My favorite period of jazz is 1955-1965 and I went through a time when I bought every Blue Note record from that era whether I knew of it or not. Their reputation for putting out the best of the best is unparalleled and the sound of those recordings will never be topped. It’s those kind of recordings that have convinced all of us in Gov’t Mule that the only way to capture improvisational music in the studio is to record as ‘live’ as possible. We are truly honored to be part of the Blue Note roster.”

Gov’t Mule – co-founded by Haynes with drummer Matt Abts and featuring keyboardist Danny Louis and bassist Jorgen Carlsson – has released nine critically acclaimed studio albums and an assortment of DVDs and live albums. The band has sold more than three million song downloads through their site MuleTracks and is the consummate live act, with sold-out coast-to-coast tours.

The 11 original songs on Shout! were written over the course of the past two years. The band members first convened at Carlsson’s Los Angeles studio, where they wrote, recorded and produced leadoff track “World Boss” and two other songs. Inspired, they agreed to meet up on the East Coast to continue work on the album. They recorded eight tracks at Carriage House Studios in Stamford, CT, with longtime co-producer/engineer Gordie Johnson co-producing four of the songs with Haynes.

“This album puts the spotlight on the new songs and the way that we interpret them, which hinges on the unique chemistry we’ve developed as a band,” says Haynes.