That time Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes told me that “everyone has a voice, it’s time to use it”

By Steve Newton

I interviewed Gov’t Mule guitarist-vocalist Warren Haynes for the fifth time in October of 2013, when his band was touring behind its tenth studio album, the double-CD Shout!.

The conversation took place four days after the resolution of a 16-day government shutdown in the U.S., which was caused by a budget standoff between House Republicans demanding changes to the Affordable Care Act and Democratic Senate and President Barack Obama supporting a clean spending bill.

Knowing that Haynes had never shied away from recording politically minded songs, I asked him if the recent shutdown was the type of event that could inspire another tune or two from him.

Thirteen years later, with the crucial American midterms on everybody’s mind, his response seems pretty timely.

Have a listen:

To hear the full audio of my interview with Warren Haynes from 2013–and my interviews with him from 1994, 1998, 2004, and 2006 as well–subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 700 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with stellar musicians since 1982.