Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes: Bassist Jorgen Carlsson Was ‘Quiet-Quitting The Last Few Years’

Earlier this month, Gov’t Mule shared the shocking news Jorgen Carlsson was departing the band after 15 years as its bassist. The announcement came on the eve of Gov’t Mule’s summer tour and included word Kevin Scott would step in to replace Carlsson. Frontman Warren Haynes provided more insight into the change and Scott’s future with the band during an interview published on Rock & Blues Muse late last week.

The initial social shares on June 8 revealing Carlsson’s departure noted, “Our friend Kevin Scott will be joining us on bass this summer.” Within a few hours, the words “this summer” were removed from the posts. Rock & Blues Muse’s Martine Ehrenclou asked Haynes if Scott’s position was a “temporary situation” and expressed how surprised the fanbase was by the announcement.

Warren Haynes revealed Jorgen had been “quiet-quitting the last few years.” While the news was a shock to fans, it didn’t take Carlsson’s bandmates by surprise. Read Haynes’ full response to the Jorgen Carlsson/Kevin Scott question below:

Jorgen did an amazing job. His role in Gov’t Mule got better and better year after year. He sounds fantastic on the new record. I’ve always said with any chemistry, it’s great if you have a great chemistry in the beginning, but it’s where you take it if you give it time, that really matters. The fact that we were able to do this for 15 years has really allowed the band to reach a point where there’s a lot of borderline telepathy going on on stage. We’re so familiar with each other’s musical vocabulary and mindsets that we’re able to communicate in a really heavy dimensional way. I can’t say enough about his contribution to the band the last 15 years. Having said that, he’s been quiet-quitting the last few years. We all knew it was coming, but it is heartbreaking.

To answer the Kevin Scott question, Kevin is fantastic and we’re hoping it will be more than temporary. We’ve hired him to complete everything that we have on the books at the moment, but I have a really good feeling about him for the future of this band, and I think he shares that feeling as well. Even though it’s announced it’s like he’s here for the summer, we’re all hoping that he’s here for a new chapter.

The “new record” Haynes mentioned is Peace...Like A River, which arrived on June 16. Gov’t Mule resumes a summer tour in support of the album on July 22 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Head to Rock & Blues Muse for more from Haynes on the LP and scroll below for a full list of Gov’t Mule tour dates.