Gov’t Mule’s ‘Heavy Load Blues’ Debuts at #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart

(Album Artwork)

November 24, 2021 – The first-ever blues album from Gov’t Mule, Heavy Load Blues, has officially debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart, marking the renowned quartet’s third album in their storied career to enter the Billboard charts at the top spot. Following an incredible first week, Heavy Load Blues (released November 12 via Fantasy Records) also lands on the following Billboard charts: #6 Tastemakers Albums, #16 Top Current Album Sales, #22 Top Rock Albums, #25 Top Album Sales, and #27 Independent Albums in addition to debuting on the Billboard 200. The album also reached #1 on the Amazon Best Sellers in Blues chart and #1 on Music Connect’s Blues Albums chart as well as #2 on the Apple Music Blues Albums chart and #3 on the Music Connect Current Rock chart. Internationally, Heavy Load Blues has also found charting success, debuting at #16 in Germany, #33 in Switzerland, #48 in the UK and top 100 entries in Italy and the Netherlands.

Worldwide, Heavy Load Blues, which has already amassed over 1.5 million global streams, is receiving critical praise and acclaim from the likes of Consequence, Guitar World, BrooklynVegan, No Depression, Ultimate Classic Rock, PopMatters, Classic Rock, and many more, including numerous 9- and 8-out-of-10 star reviews – PRESS HERE to listen. The 13-track album, produced by GRAMMY^® Award-winning vocalist, songwriter, guitar legend, and Gov’t Mule front man Warren Haynes alongside engineer and co-producer John Paterno (Elvis Costello, Michael Landau, Bonnie Raitt, Robbie Williams, Los Lobos, Mitchel Froom), encompasses an even mix of Haynes’ originals and revered covers originally made famous by the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Ann Peebles, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Junior Wells, and the Animals. A deluxe edition featuring additional studio and live tracks, including another Haynes original and covers originally by Savoy Brown, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush and more, is also available now. Though technically considered a studio album, Heavy Load Blues was recorded live in the studio at The Power Station New England on analog tape, utilizing vintage guitars, amps and other equipment to capture an authentic sound. PRESS HERE to watch the official animated music video for their take on the Tom Waits classic “Make It Rain.”

This Sunday, November 28th, Warren Haynes will appear on NPR Weekend Edition to chat about Heavy Load Blues, Mule’s 25+ year career, and much more – tune in to your favorite local NPR station between 8-10am ET to listen live. The interview will also be available for on-demand streaming on NPR.org beginning Sunday afternoon.

Gov’t Mule – Haynes, Matt Abts [drums], Danny Louis [keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals], and Jorgen Carlsson [bass] – will then ring in the new year with their annual New Year’s Run. The three-night stand kicks off December 29 at The Met in Philadelphia before heading to The Beacon Theatre in New York City, the band’s unofficial home-court venue, on December 30 and December 31 to close out the year and ring in 2022 with a very special Black ‘n’ Blue New Year’s Show. Visit www.mule.net for more details.

Photo Credit: Jay Sansone

PRAISE FOR HEAVY LOAD BLUES

“Heavy jam legends Gov’t Mule lay bare their roots on Heavy Load Blues, resulting in one of the most satisfying albums of the year…a soul-baring journey of the blues, mainly through the lens of soul and hard rock, in all its complexity, beauty, darkness, and glory.” – PopMatters

“[‘Heavy Load’] sounds timeless in the way that real-deal blues often does.” – BrooklynVegan

“A mesmerizing dynamic exists between the covers and other originals.” – No Depression

“Heavy Load Blues is raw, heavy, and immediate.” – AllMusic

“Raw and gutsy platter…Recording live in the studio infuses the fittingly titled Heavy Load Blues with natural electricity, perfect for music played by a band that has the miles and years together to lock into a groove and ride it like the pros they are.” – Holler

“That is the joy of playing the blues, they are rock and roll’s DNA, a gateway to it all, and Gov’t Mule has successfully paid homage to the genre and more with Heavy Load Blues.”

– Glide Magazine

“Haynes and the band deliver a world-class musical experience” – Goldmine

“Heavy Load Blues is an impressive showcase of Gov’t Mule’s ability to effortlessly produce a blues album while still leaving you knowing you just listened to a Mule album when it’s over.”

– Discover Vinyl

“Heavy Load Blues [is] a profound experience from start to finish.” – Rock & Blues Muse

“All are presented with a deep sense of respect, although they’re not slavish to the originals – Wells’s Snatch It Back And Hold It is given a funk edge as the band get lost in the reverie of playing songs they love… it’s good to hear a band straying off the beaten track to play timeless music just for the sheer hell of it.” – Classic Rock

“Gov’t Mule perform a perfect cannonball from the high-dive, fully committing to their own interpretation of American Blues music. The result is a chunky and sonic slice of Blues, no polish nor overproduction, with all the grit in Warren Hayne’s always on-point guitar work.” – The Alternate Root

“A sonic signature… Heavy Load Blues will whisk you to a place you’ve maybe never been, but will want to return to again and again.” – Twangville

“It is astounding this is The Mule’s first fully blues album. For over 25 years and hundreds of performances, this band has been one of the acts taking up the torch. Although this is their only full blues album, these 13 tracks provide significant emotion, conveyed with fabled precision.”

– The Aquarian Weekly

“This accomplished band plays the blues exactly as it should be played, with passion, inventiveness and homage in spades. Blues aficionados and Gov’t Mule fans alike will love it.”

– Tahoe On Stage

ABOUT GOV’T MULE & WARREN HAYNES

Gov’t Mule – Warren Haynes [vocals, guitar], Matt Abts [drums], Danny Louis [keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals], and Jorgen Carlsson [bass] – has galvanized a global fan base with their honest, organic and daring music and improvisational virtuosity, leading them to be recognized as one of the most timeless, revered and active bands in the world whose spot amongst rock titans remains unshakable. Led by visionary GRAMMY Award-winning artist and guitar legend Warren Haynes – a cornerstone of the American music landscape – the enduring, globally revered group has showcased its intelligence and breadth over the course of 20+ studio and live albums, thousands of memorable performances and millions of album and track sales. Gov’t Mule has become a human encyclopedia of great American music while adding to that canon with their signature sound. The band’s flexible interplay in the studio and on stage makes them a true living, breathing ensemble and Haynes is lauded as one of the most formidable guitarists and vocalists of the modern era and a prolific songwriter and producer. Throughout his prolific career as part of three of the greatest live groups in rock history – Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule and the Dead – and an acclaimed solo artist, Haynes has become one of music’s most treasured storytellers.

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