49 Winchester -.Leavin’ This Holler
10 years is a long time to do something, yet rarely enough time to be truly successful at anything. Virginia band 49 Winchester (named for the street in the small town of Castlewood where they formed) has, in the last decade or so, gone from high school friends to playing some of the world’s biggest stages, opening for country luminaries like Luke Combs and Shane Smith & the Saints. Now five albums in (including two on New West Records), the six-piece band has not strayed far from their Appalachian roots. Instead, on their latest release, Leavin’ This Holler, the band prefers to make small changes (and one not-so-small one) and continue telling their own story and the small-town tales that inform their songs.
Leavin’ This Holler begins with the bootstrap twang of “Favor,” which paints a picture of the small town Virginia existence – “There’s taking and there’s giving/There’s life and then there’s living/And the only thing we’re given is today” – the band still holds dear. “Hillbilly Happy” is a faster, Southern-fried other side of the coin – “Well they roll up the sidewalks early in the evening/And on Sunday they don’t even sell beer” – that pushes these boys of Appalachia to get out and explore the world. The tune also shows the depth of the band, with a coda that bounces the lead guitar of Bus Shelton off of keys and organ from Tim Hall to a satisfying cacophony.
The additions that 49 Winchester, along with producer Stewart Myers, make are subtle, but they deepen the record. Most notable is the inclusion of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra on two tracks. “Fast Asleep” begins as an acoustic tune that bursts into an arena-filling chorus, with the strings bolstering (not overtaking) Isaac Gibson’s vocals as he sings of the girl he just can’t leave behind – “And you’re fast asleep/Honey, beside me.” “Anchor” is an album wrapper that could represent a different direction for the band – it’s a big ballad, with the strings more forward than in “Fast Asleep,” with Gibson singing of surfacing above past trauma – “Baby don’t let me die/I wanna live now/I’m just so damn high/I can see the surface” – over some damn-near-metal guitar riffs.
If mini-epics aren’t quite your thing, 49 Winchester still excels at the down-home country thing. “Traveling Band” (not to be confused with CCR’s “Travelin’ Band”) is just the kind of song you’d expect from these road warriors, riding on Tim Hall’s excellent pedal steel work. Lead single “Yearnin’ for You” is a fast-tempoed yen for the comforts of home – “I love you like I always watched my daddy love my mama/I miss you ‘cause you always make me feel the way I wanna.” And the title track is a bluesy warning (with gorgeous background vocals from Maggie Antone) not to waste time when life ain’t workin’ – “Try to make things what they should be/But I can’t, not in this town.” For 49 Winchester, leavin’ your holler is necessary for growth, but also for appreciation of what really matters.
Song I Can’t Wait to Hear Live: “Tulsa” – Two things have happened recently in country music: 1) Smoking pot has become an acceptable vice and 2) Oklahoma has replaced my home of Colorado as the cultural touchstone for said vice. This steel-filled rocker’s only “Just Say No” moment occurs when facing a perilous border crossing – “Well I think I should have stayed in Tulsa/East Texas ain’t for me/They’ll lock you up for smoking grass/And throw away the key.” Turn around and toke on, boys.
Leavin’ This Holler was produced by 49 Winchester and Stewart Myers and mastered by Pete Lyman. All songs written by Isaac Gibson, with co-writes going to Kendell Marvel, Matt Koziol and Stewart Myers. 49 Winchester is Isaac Gibson (vocals, guitar), Bus Shelton (lead guitar), Chase Chafin (bass), Noah Patrick (pedal steel), Tim Hall (piano, organ, keys) and Justin Louthian (drums). Additional musicians on the album include Maggie Antone (backing vocals), Philip Bowen (fiddler), Cole Chafin (guitar) and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Go here to order Leavin’ This Holler (out August 2): https://49winchester.shop/collections/music
Check out tour dates here: https://49winchester.com/tour
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Show Review: Tyler Childers in Birmingham and Nashville with 49 Winchester opening
