Heartfelt and real

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso Warren Haynes played in The Allman Brothers Band for 25 years, cofounded the influential jam band Gov’t Mule and has played and toured extensively with members of the Grateful Dead. His fourth solo album, “Million Voices Whisper,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues Albums chart in 2024, and its companion album, “The Whisper Sessions,” came out in 2025, featuring stripped-down versions of the “Million Voices Whisper” songs.

Haynes recently kicked off his “Winter of Warren” tour and is performing at The Lensic Performing Arts Center on Friday, Feb. 20.

“On these solo dates that I’m doing, it’s more about the songs and my voice, and less about the guitar playing,” Haynes said. “Although I do enjoy and have as much fun playing guitar by myself as I can, it’s not as easy to express yourself as a guitar player when you’re by yourself. So, these shows are more coming from the singer-songwriter direction.”

As a songwriter, Haynes cowrote Garth Brooks’ No. 1 hit “Two of a Kind, Workin’ on a Full House.” He also wrote “Soulshine,” which became one of the best-known songs in The Allman Brothers’ catalog.

Haynes had met Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman of The Allman Brothers Band in 1980 when he was 20 years old, and he officially joined the band when they re-formed in 1989.

“I was such a huge fan of The Allman Brothers’ music that being allowed into their inner sanctum was pretty incredible,” Haynes said.

Haynes remained with the band until 1997, returning again in 2000 and staying until their final performances in 2014.

“I had studied that music all my life, but to be able to tap into it on the inside like that, and learn what makes it tick, was pretty amazing,” Haynes said. “Having the opportunity to work with amazing, legendary musicians and artists is always a learning experience, and you take that with you to the next thing.”

Over the years, Haynes has performed and recorded with a diverse array of musicians, including Willie Nelson, Dave Grohl, Coheed and Cambria, Dave Matthews Band and Carlos Santana. He said he enjoys talking to other musicians about who they listen to, because the answers are often surprising.

“I think every musician has secrets that aren’t necessarily commonly shared,” Haynes said. “What I mean by that is, we all listen to and explore a lot of different types of music, and, in some cases, it’s music that might be different than what we’re known for.”

As an example, he mentioned a conversation he had with country legend Bonnie Raitt.

“We got into a discussion one afternoon about music that we loved, and it was just a casual conversation, but we realized we were both fans of Peter Gabriel,” Haynes said. “We even talked about the song he did with Kate Bush (‘Don’t Give Up’) that both of us really liked a lot. I don’t think she expected me to be a huge fan of it, and vice versa. It was a cool moment.”

One reason Haynes’ own musical tastes are so eclectic, he said, is that he’s always searching for new ways to express himself musically.

“I always want to intentionally go down some road I’ve never gone down before. … I feel like with Gov’t Mule, or with my solo records, I’ve been trying to fill in the gaps and utilize influences and musical directions that have always been there but that I’ve never really explored in the past,” Haynes said. “I equate it, in a weird way, to being a painter who’s painting with colors that they’ve never chosen before.”

Lyrically, Haynes has been changing, too.

“I’ve always tended to write lyrics that are not necessarily upbeat and happy. I’ve been asked about that a lot, and my response has always been that when I’m happy, I’m not thinking about writing a song,” Haynes said. “But recently, I’ve been exploring the other side of that coin and tapping into the things that I’m grateful for.”

He said it’s much harder to write happy songs, because it’s easier for happy lyrics to sound cliché.

“As an example, throughout my career, I don’t have many love songs,” Haynes said. “But the love songs that I have are heartfelt and real to me. … It has to mean something to me, or I don’t feel the need to explore it.”

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.