49 Winchester Release New Album Change Of Plans

Virginia alt-country outfit, 49 Winchester have released their new album, Change Of Plans, via Lucille Records / MCA – and the timing could hardly be better, with the band nominated for Group of the Year at this Sunday’s ACM Awards in Las Vegas.

Change Of Plans is available to stream and download now, marking 49 Winchester’s debut release under the Lucille Records / MCA imprint. MCA is collaborating with New West Records on the project, with all subsequent releases set to be issued exclusively under the MCA banner.

The album was executive produced by GRAMMY-winning producer Dave Cobb – the man behind landmark records from Chris Stapleton and Sturgill Simpson – at his recording studio in Savannah, Georgia.

Recorded in just eight days, the result is a record that captures 49 Winchester at a genuine creative peak, expanding their sonic palette while staying rooted in the vivid storytelling that has defined their career to date.

Across its tracks, Change Of Plans explores themes of growth, reflection, and resilience – ideas shaped by years on the road and an unwavering commitment to authenticity. It is, by any measure, the sound of a band that has done the hard yards and arrived somewhere worth reaching.

Standout tracks include Oh Savannah, Slowly, and Pardon Me, each offering a glimpse into a new era for 49 Winchester – one marked by emotional honesty, musical depth, and a willingness to push into unfamiliar territory.

The album also features the band’s cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes, a bold inclusion that speaks to the breadth of influence 49 Winchester bring to their music.

The critical establishment has taken notice. Rolling Stone has written that 49 Winchester “have already managed to wield a level of influence over other artists that some bands never see in a five-decade career.”

Billboard describes the band as having “proven itself to be among the top-tier groups over the past decade, blending elements of rock, country, blues and Americana into its own signature musical stew.”

Whiskey Riff, meanwhile, has gone further still, predicting that “in a few years, as the 2020s are coming to an end, we’ll look back at 49 Winchester as one of the most important bands of the decade.”

That reputation has been built slowly and steadily, far from the industry shortcuts that define lesser careers. 49 Winchester formed in Castlewood, Virginia, where childhood friends Isaac Gibson and Chase Chafin began developing a sound rooted in Appalachian storytelling – blending country, rock, and folk influences into something that is distinctly their own.

The band’s lineup brings together Isaac Gibson on lead vocals and songwriting duties, Bus Shelton on lead guitar, Chase Chafin on bass, Noah Patrick on pedal steel, Tim Hall on keys, and Justin Louthian on drums.

Together, they channel the heart, humour, and hard-earned wisdom of Appalachia into every song they record.

Their journey from front porch jam sessions to some of the most celebrated stages in American music has been a long time coming. Last autumn, 49 Winchester played two sold-out nights at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium – a milestone that underlined just how far the band has travelled since their earliest days.

Isaac Gibson has spoken candidly about the significance of this moment. “We started this thing from the smallest seed possible,” he has said, “and by staying true to that same mindset, it finally feels like now is our time to come up.” Change Of Plans, in many ways, is the album that makes good on that belief.

The record’s themes of change, maturity, and perseverance feel earned rather than imposed. 49 Winchester have lived the content of this album in the most literal sense – years of touring, of refining their craft, of building a fanbase one honest performance at a time. The result is a collection of songs that carries genuine weight.

With the ACM Awards nomination for Group of the Year now putting 49 Winchester in front of the broadest possible audience, the timing of Change Of Plans feels anything but accidental. This is a band that has long deserved the mainstream spotlight, and the album gives them every reason to hold it.

49 Winchester are currently on tour, with headline dates scheduled across the United States throughout 2026. The run also includes select support slots alongside Eric Church and Tim McGraw, bringing the band to some of the largest rooms of their career so far.

For anyone who has been following 49 Winchester’s rise over the past several years, Change Of Plans is the record that confirms what was always apparent. For those only now discovering the band, it is as good a place to start as any.

Change Of Plans by 49 Winchester is out now on Lucille Records / MCA. Listen HERE.