Warren Haynes’ first solo record in nearly a decade brings themes of optimism, uplift, and hope with Haynes at the top of his artistic game, performing with a stellar ensemble. Guests include the incredible Derek Trucks and John Medeski, but the songs are the stars of Million Voices Whisper.
Keyboardist John Medeski and you share a melodic chemistry on the new album.
We’ve known each other for decades. The first time I sat in with Medeski, Martin & Wood was about 30 years ago, but for the last four or five years we’ve been playing together a lot, especially on The Last Waltz tours. We spent a lot of time on the bus, talking about things we could do.
I was really excited that John was able to be a part of this record. His personality is very much felt, as is everyone’s. This was the first time the four of us – myself, Kevin Scott, Terrence Higgins, and John – played together. I’d played with Terrence, I’d played with Kevin, and I’d played with John, and we all knew it was going to be cool, but once we got into the studio, it exceeded our expectations. The chemistry quickly turned into this cool band where everybody’s personality was ever-present, but here was also a group personality. That’s what you strive and hope for, and was the case from the beginning. I’m very happy about that.
Having Derek Trucks weave in and out is the icing on the cake.
I was really glad that Derek was able to be a part of it, as well.
Why another solo record?
It’s been over nine years since my last solo record, so I think it was overdue. Usually, the impetus for a solo record for me is if I’m writing a bunch of songs that seem to fit together but don’t seem like Gov’t Mule songs. Most of these songs are new within the last two or three years, but a couple go back to the Covid lockdown, so that’s when the process started. I was writing so much during that time, but most of those turned out to be Gov’t Mule songs. A couple that appear here, like “From Here On Out” and “Day of Reckoning,” go that far back. The rest of the stuff is virtually brand new.
How did the record come together thematically?
It changed shape as we were making it because I went in thinking most of the songs were taking on a Muscle Shoals vibe that was somewhere between Man in Motion and Ashes & Dust. The more I continued writing, the more the soul side seemed to prevail, and it wound up going in that direction, which was cool. There’s a jazz and funk influence, but I like the fact that all the songs are different but feel connected.
It seems to have come together organically rather than you imposing a concept.
I went in with some sort of vision of how it was going to sound. Some songs matched that vision, and some changed drastically – rightly so. I love opening the music to wherever it’s going to go in the studio. Especially when working with wonderful musicians, it’s always best to see everybody’s interpretation of something before you lay out your own vision of it. In a lot of cases, being open to where the songs went caused them to change complexion a little bit. We were taking it where the moment led.
And lyrically?
Most of the songs are tied together, lyrically, by this overview of pursuing the future through a lens of positivity. It’s embracing the things in life that are most important.
Have you picked up any new guitars?
I got this new Paul Reed Smith prototype I’ve been playing for about a week. It’s very interesting. I’m also working on a few prototypes with Gibson; we’re working on a signature Les Paul with P-90 pickups and a signature Firebird with three P-90s. Both are a little different for me. I’m more accustomed to humbuckers, but I love the way P-90s sound, so I’m also pursuing that a little more these days.
What’s happening next at your day job?
2025 is Gov’t Mule’s 30th anniversary. We’ll be playing a lot of cool stuff on stage and releasing recordings from the vault. We’ve been looking at all this unreleased studio and live stuff. Next year is going to be really exciting.
This article originally appeared in VG’s December 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.
