Gov’t Mule has announced a new studio album, Peace…Like A River, and shared the first taste of the project with “Dreaming Out Loud”, a song inspired by civil rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Robert and John Kennedy, and U.S. Representative John Lewis.
Following the release of Gov’t Mule’s Grammy-nominated blues album, Heavy Load Blues, Peace…Like A River is due out June 16th via Fantasy Records. The album 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 Warren Haynes, but the projects were kept separate, recorded concurrently in different rooms with different gear, giving each its own distinct character. Peace…Like A River is also differentiated by its host of special guests, which includes Billy Bob Thornton, Celisse, Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top, and more.
“Peace…Like A River is very ambitious from a musical arrangement standpoint in the way that a lot of the songs take twists and turns that is not common in today’s pop music world,” said Haynes. “At the same time, it’s very much a song record and covers a lot of ground, stylistically speaking. Song for song maybe my favorite one.”
Along with the album announcement, Gov’t Mule shared the first single, “Dreaming Out Loud”, which features blues great Ruthie Foster, who previously contributed to Mule’s 2006 album High & Mighty, and New Orleans soul legend Ivan Neville. The song speaks to the present moment, incorporating inspirational quotes from civil rights leaders who dedicated their lives to social justice, with a funky feel reminiscent of Sly and the Family Stone.
Listen to “Dreaming Out Loud” and watch the album trailer below.
Peace…Like A River is available to pre-order and pre-save on streaming services. Each digital pre-save will include an instant download of “Dreaming Out Loud”. A deluxe edition of the album will be available only on CD and includes the special five-track Time Of The Signs bonus EP, which features four brand new unreleased tracks and an alternate version of the track “The River Only Flows One Way” with Warren on lead vocals (Billy Bob Thornton sings on the album version).
Gov’t Mule will hit the road in support of the new album starting with a ten-date spring tour, which kicks off on May 5th in New Orleans during Jazz Fest and includes stops at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, ultimately culminating with two nights in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, NC on May 19th and 20th. The band will then pay tribute to Pink Floyd in honor of the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon with the Dark Side of the Mule Tour with special guest Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening. Gov’t Mule also has summer tour dates on the books with The Avett Brothers and Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival tour, plus a number of other festival appearances.
Click below to view a list of upcoming Gov’t Mule tour dates. For more information including ticketing details, visit the band’s website.
Gov’t Mule – “Dreaming Out Loud”
Gov’t Mule – Making Peace…Like a River
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