Unlocking Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Secret Magic

While Derek Trucks has been part of some incredible musical collaborations throughout his career, they also helped inform the path he’s taking today with Tedeschi Trucks Band.

The guitarist had the honor of being enlisted by Eric Clapton to join his band in the early part of the 2000s and it provided him with opportunities on several levels, as he tells UCR now. In particular, it led to a certain conversation with his wife, fellow guitarist and vocalist Susan Tedeschi.

“When I got that Clapton gig, we decided we’re like, you know what? Our lifestyle isn’t changing,” he recalls. “There’s no new cars. Let’s build a studio. She’s like, ‘Let’s do it!’ So we’ve dumped all of our time and energy and treasure into building a studio. I think that’s been a big part of it for us, because otherwise it’s hard to afford the time to experiment or to waste time in the studio, because it could be expensive otherwise, but when it’s in your backyard, it’s just fun.”

What He Learned From the Allman Brothers Band

There were lessons to be found in the history of the albums that the Allman Brothers Band made over the years as well, when it came to the idea of harnessing what Tedeschi Trucks Band is doing in the studio — which Trucks admits is a complicated exercise.

“I know bands that that have just given up on trying to make great studio records,” he says. “They’re just like, we’re a live band. The Allman Brothers kind of did that. My uncle [ABB drummer Butch Trucks], he just never wanted to go back in the studio.”

“But then it hit me, some of my favorite recordings of [that band] are in the damn studio, like, Eat a Peach is beautiful,” he offers, as an example. “But I think they were just getting to it, just starting to crack the code when Duane [Allman] passed. And then, I think the whole dynamic shifted. They didn’t have somebody that was patient enough [to want to deal with the album-making process].”

READ MORE: Allman Brothers Band Albums Ranked

“They made a few great records after that, Brothers and Sisters being one of them. You know, those things you couldn’t create live for the first time. You needed the studio to make that magic happen.”

“You realize that [making records], it’s kind of just improvisation, just like live music. It’s kind of a lifelong pursuit.”

Trucks Had His Own Struggles

As he admits, there was a period of time where as he was making albums, it often “felt like a chore.” Playing live was the opposite, he and his band would be “spitting flames” and subsequently get into the studio and wonder why that feeling wasn’t carrying over to the records.

But Jay Joyce, known more recently for his work on the last two Black Crowes albums, was one person who helped crack the code. “We made a record with the Derek Trucks Band, [2006’s] Songlines and Jay had me and Mike Mattison in his home studio,” the guitarist recalls, of his experience working with the producer. “He made it about something totally different. It was [like], this is a different muscle. This is exploration — we’re going to take these songs and just deconstruct them and reconstruct them.”

“‘And it doesn’t matter, because unless you love it, you don’t have to release it,'” he told the band members. “‘This is supposed to be fun and creative.’ It totally rewired my brain to making records. After that, it became as much fun or more fun than touring.”

Trucks adds that the exploration has only continued, something that’s been evident as he’s made albums over the years with Tedeschi Trucks Band — he names Jim Scott as one collaborator who helped them further expand their creative horizons.

Their ‘Future Soul’

The title track of their latest studio album, Future Soul, which was released earlier this year offers just one example of how Tedeschi Trucks Band continues to evolve. As Derek takes a solo on the song, he goes way out in directions that might surprise longtime fans, just as it surprised him personally.

“I played that on on an old Flying V. You know, I’m not super well-versed in guitar pedals and getting crazy sounds,” he admits. “But Susan’s guitar tech, Ryan Murphy, who’s a great guitar player in his own right, he I was like, ‘Man, I really want this to sound like the end of the Earth. I just want it to sound like something’s gonna break.'”

“You could see the light bulb go off,” he continues. “There was this old Octavian [pedal], Chicago Iron Works [made]. It’s got a [Jimi] Hendrix Fuzz Face [kind of sound], but he dialed this thing in. I plugged in the Flying V and you just had to hold on for dear life. It looks like it wants to get away from you at all times. So I was like, ‘Oh yeah, perfect, roll tape, let’s go!’ It was exciting. That was a lot of fun to play.”

Watch Tedeschi Trucks Band Perform ‘Future Soul’

Mike Elizondo, known for his work with Twenty One Pilots, Eminem, Carrie Underwood and others, brought “fresh ears” in Trucks’ telling, plus a wide swath of influence to the sessions for Future Soul. “We’d been circling each other for years and years,” he shares, regarding how they connected with the producer. “It was a fresh take on the band and he’s incredibly musical.”

“He can play almost every instrument out there on the floor, so his ideas were incredible,” Derek explains. “Sonically, he was pushing and pulling and trying different things — and that really inspired the band. When you’re hearing the drums and the bass just pump and breathe in the headphones when you’re tracking, it makes you lean in a little differently.”

Where to See Tedeschi Trucks Band in 2026

After lighting the fuse earlier this year with their annual New York residency at the Beacon Theatre, Tedeschi Trucks Band have a busy summer on tap. Their massive tour in support of Future Soul will find them playing headlining shows, plus gigs where they’ll share the stage with a number of their peers, including Alabama Shakes, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Sheryl Crow and more.

They’ll also play some special shows with the Eagles, something which Trucks admits is a personal thrill for him. “Joe Walsh was always a great early champion for me,” he reveals. “I remember getting Christmas cards from Joe Walsh, with just him in a Santa hat for like a decade after that. “I would see him every 10 or 15 years and it always felt like long lost friends or like a mentor. So the connection with Joe is long and deep and real.”

“Now that Vince Gill’s in the band, there’s another guy that we’ve known for a long time that every time you see him, you just feel better for it,” he adds. “We [also] did a show with Don Henley for a Leonard Cohen tribute with the National Orchestra in D.C. tat was incredible. Sue’s known him for a good long time, so we’ve had some connections with him. But when they reached out about this, we were not expecting it. It was quite an honor to be asked to be a part of it.”

READ MORE: Tedeschi Trucks Band 2026 Tour Dates