It’s hard to talk about Devon Allman without bringing up the rock ’n’ roll royalty that runs through his veins.

The frontman of blues-rock outfit Honeytribe, Allman is the son of Gregg Allman, lead singer and founding member of the storied Allman Brothers.

Thanks to that connection, there’s hardly an article or press release that doesn’t refer to him as “Devon, son of GREGG ALLMAN from THE ALLMAN BROTHERS.”

But Honeytribe isn’t about living off the laurels of bloodline. At the same time, it’s not about denying the past either.

According to Allman, it’s about continuing a heritage and tradition that is slowly fading in a music industry with attention deficit disorder.

“There’s bands out there that want to be rock stars, and there’s bands that love playing music so much they want to do it for the rest of their lives,” Allman said. “Even if they don’t get a record deal, they’d still be playing it. And that’s where you separate the pretenders from the contenders.”

Honeytribe is firmly in the latter group this summer, with a busy summer music festival schedule that zig-zags across the Midwest and finds them playing everything from Wakarusa to a Fourth of July Festival in Seward.

That schedule also includes a stop at the Nebraska Blues Summit, which kicks off Saturday at Playmakers, 640 W. Prospector Court.

Allman said the touring is heavy but the band is also promoting “Torch,” its debut album.

Considering the fact that Honeytribe is now seven years old, “Torch” is well overdue and, at the same time, completely worth the wait.

The album combines the influences of blues, rock and R&B for a bumping romp that brings to mind Stevie Ray Vaughan or the Rolling Stones. It’s not hard to tell these guys grew up listening to Hendrix, Clapton and, well, the Allman Brothers.

“The record came together very organically,” Allman said. “It’s all a byproduct of what we grew up on, be it Santana or ZZ Top or whatever. We don’t try to cerebralize our songwriting. I just pick up a guitar, and if I’m feeling funky or feeling good or whatever, then I’ll put together a song.”

Allman said he does “90 percent” of the songwriting for the group, which also includes bassist George Potsos, organist/keyboardist Jack Kirkner and drummer Mark Oyarzabal. It’s a cast of “A-list all-stars,” according to Allman.

He said he hopes “Tribe” speaks for what the Honeytribe quartet is all about. “I think the album is making the statement that there’s still people out there making passionate music that aren’t worried about selling a million records or trying to be on MTV.”

That’s one of the troubles with the music industry today, Allman said. Too many bands are famous for their looks and attitudes alone.

The blues and blues rock aren’t about the look or the money or the glory of rock stardom, however, and Allman said he’s actually relieved his brand of music hasn’t been hijacked by the majors.

“Maybe it’s for the best that the blues maintains kind of an underworld status,” he said, “because it seems like when they get their hands on it, they really foul it up.”

Allman said he’s come to accept the fact that he probably won’t sell millions of records, but he’s playing music for music’s sake, and he’s not about to start comparing himself to rock stars of the past or present.

“I went through some time when I was kind of trying to find myself musically and find who I was,” he said. “Once I found it, I knew I wanted to do it for the next 25 years.

“And I think it was just about finding a mental acceptance. I think I spent a lot of time in the past, kind of denying my heritage and trying not to sound anything like the Allman Brothers or my dad, and that was kind of hard for someone as hard-headed as me.”

With Honeytribe already set to record two more albums, Allman said he wants to continue forging his own path while paying homage to the tradition he inherited.

“I’m really proud of my heritage,” Allman said. “The history they made was really incredible, and I’m proud to have that. And there’s often times I sound like my old man, and I’ve just kind of embraced that. I should just be the most organic form of myself that I can possibly be.”

Reach Joel Gehringer at 473-7254 or jgehringer@journalstar.com.

Nebraska Blues Summit

The fourth annual Blues Summit kicks off Saturday afternoon at Playmakers, 640 W. Prospector Court.

The summit, organized by Lincoln blues rocker Kris Lager, features the best of Nebraska’s blues and roots groups, as well as a few regional stars including Devon Allman’s Honeytribe.

Music starts at 5 p.m., and tickets are $15, available at Playmakers or online at www.nebraskabluessummit.com.

Nebraska Blues Summit Schedule:

5 p.m. — Tsumi

5:30 p.m. — Sarah Benck and the Robbers

6:30 p.m. — Willis

7 p.m. — Anchondo

8 p.m.  — Korey Anderson

8:30 p.m. — Kris Lager Band

10 p.m. — Honeytribe

11:30 p.m. — All-Star Jam