“These Changes” featuring Derek Trucks is the first single
Gov’t Mule frontman Warren Haynes has announced The Whisper Sessions, a collection of stripped-down versions of songs off his recent solo album Million Voices Whisper.
Coinciding with the announcement, Haynes has released his single in support of the project with “These Changes” featuring Trucks, who also co-wrote the song. “These Changes” is about someone who is trying to work through hardships and acknowledges that the relationship is important enough to do whatever it takes to make it better.
“‘These Changes’ is a song I wrote with Derek Trucks that we recorded in the studio together. I love this song, which is about looking back and forward at the same time and navigating your way through an ever-changing life. The instrumental section at the end, where we are trading guitar riffs and playing off of each other, was not in the original arrangement as we wrote it – it just came about organically once we started recording the song. It was a great opportunity for the two of us to rekindle our chemistry that we’ve had for a long time,” Haynes says.
The nine-track album – which includes a stunning version of the Allman Brothers Band classic “Melissa” with Haynes’ longtime Allman Brothers Band bandmate Derek Trucks, who is featured on three songs, will be released on Friday, September 12th via Fantasy Records/Concord. The intimate renditions peel back the layers to spotlight Haynes’ soulful voice, masterful guitar work, and the heartfelt storytelling at the album’s core.
The Whisper Sessions is a rare, unfiltered glimpse into the essence of each track – where every lyric and note resonated with newfound clarity and depth. The album features seven standout tracks from Haynes’ acclaimed fourth solo album Million Voices Whisper, including the singles “This Life As We Know It,” which reached Top 15 on the Americana singles chart and Top 40 at triple A radio; “Real, Real Love,” also featuring Trucks, whose lyrics were initially started by Gregg Allman; and two poignant covers, each reimagined to highlight Haynes’ emotive vocals and six-string mastery.
“We didn’t plan to release stripped-down versions of the songs from Million Voices Whisper, it just kind of happened organically,” says Haynes. “We were combing through these performances and realized that they offer a unique perspective into the songs themselves, so we thought it would be cool to make them available.”
Million Voices Whisper, released in November 2024, debuted No. 1 on Billboard’s Blues Albums Chart and marked Warren’s first solo album in nearly a decade.
Haynes, who recently partnered with Gibson for the release of his first signature guitar, the Gibson Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard, is heading overseas to Europe in July for a ten-date tour with the Warren Haynes Band featuring drummer Terence Higgins, bassist Kevin Scott, keyboardist Matt Slocum, and saxophonist Greg Osby. Upon his return to the States, Haynes will shift gears and hit the road with Gov’t Mule for their newly-announced Back In The Saddle Tour. The late summer and fall dates – Mule’s first big tour run since February 2024 – will find the acclaimed Grammy-nominated quartet of Haynes, drummer Matt Abts, keyboardist/guitarist Danny Louis, and basisst Kevin Scott travel throughout the East Coast and Midwest until the end of October.
Gov’t Mule, who are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, also have a run of co-headlining shows with Tedeschi Trucks Band coming up later this year.
