Holler Nashville Sessions Presented by George Dickel: 49 Winchester

Over a year and a half has passed since 49 Winchester joined us in London, UK, up in the cosy confines of the Betsey Trotwood pub, for their first Holler Live Session.

Fresh into their first venture overseas, the band were buoyed by the opportunities in front of them, confident in showing why so many new fans had fallen for this new, exciting group from Virginia. Stripping back their set into a skeleton frame, they showed during the session the alluring romanticism and heartfelt vulnerability of their songwriting, led by the merry tune of frontman Isaac Gibson.

Rejoining the group in Music City, Nashville, Tennessee, we witness their resilience. After nearly two years on the road and with a brand new album, Leavin' This Holler, under their arms, the band returns a well-oiled machine that's lost none of its fervour, aspiration and captivating soul. Their journey is a source of inspiration for all aspiring musicians.

This time around, the group is even more stripped-back. Isaac and Tim provide guitar and keys, offering a distinctive take on two songs from the new record and an old classic.

'Yearnin' For You', the lead single from their sophomore effort, will always be a pining and spirited love song, however you present it. In this setting, though, Isaac's words linger for longer in the atmosphere, emphasising the things they sacrifice while out on the road to do what they love.

It's clear why 'Leavin' This Holler' is the centre point and narrative driver of this latest album. One of the deepest and most lacerating songs they've written, their acoustic performance of it here is moving and liberating—Isaac's voice exasperated as he relinquishes the town that made him in hopes of finding a better chapter in life.

To close, the duo reminds us just why we fell in love with them nearly two years ago. You'll be hard-pressed to find a song better at encompassing the feeling of missing home than 'Russell County Line'. As the song captures the hearts of so many more people, we cherish and rely on it to give us even more comfort and strength.

With their second Holler Live Session, we find 49 Winchester in the form of their lives, with no sign of it stopping there.

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