The journey of Warren Haynes to his latest album, The Whisper Sessions, has been quite intriguing.

The former Allman Brothers Band guitarist has explored various recording methods over the years, including the simultaneous recording of two albums with Gov’t Mule during the pandemic.

After releasing Million Voices Whisper in 2024, his first solo album in over a decade, Haynes returned to his usual routine: discussing music, performing live, and creating diverse content to promote his latest projects.

He chose to record and film acoustic versions of several songs from the album, collaborating with his former Allman Brothers Band partner, Derek Trucks, on multiple tracks from Million Voices Whisper, including “Real, Real Love,” which originated as an idea from Gregg Allman. As these videos circulated on social media, they resonated with fans due to their intimate performances, showcasing the special connection between Haynes and Trucks as they played through the songs they had previously brought to life together.

READ MORE: How Gregg Allman Helped Influence Warren Haynes’ New Album

How ‘The Whisper Sessions’ Came to Life

Haynes shared that he felt that same spirit as well. “It started out as filming, as you say, content. We were filming promotional videos of stripped-down versions of the songs from Million Voices Whisper,” he explained during an appearance on the UCR Podcast. “We chose a few different locations [to do that]. Most of them were just like setting up in a house somewhere with a small film crew and a small audio team. We did a handful of them at Power Station, where the Million Voices Whisper album was recorded.”

“But you know, listening back as we accumulated more and more, it just seemed like these stripped-down versions offered some insight into where the songs came from before they were fleshed out and turned into full band extravaganzas. You use the word intimate; it is a very intimate setting,” he confirms. “It’s kind of like when I do solo performances; people that have never seen my solo performances don’t really know what to expect. There’s not a lot of virtuoso guitar playing. It’s just me accompanying myself for the most part and playing the song. So the focus is on my voice and the songs themselves. With the exception of the three songs I did with Derek, that’s kind of what this is.”

Watch Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks Perform ‘These Changes’

Covers by Tammy Wynette and an Allman Brothers Band Classic

Apart from original selections from Million Voices Whisper, Haynes included a couple of covers, notably a well-chosen rendition of “‘Til I Can Make it on My Own” by Tammy Wynette. “I’ve always loved that song. But I can’t remember the first time I heard it. It just goes way back,” he reflects. “Of course, years went by when I didn’t hear it and didn’t think about it, then I heard it in passing somewhere probably 15 or 20 years ago and reminded myself what a great song it was.”

“About five years ago, I started thinking that I wanted to maybe cover it at some point, but it had only been in my head. I had never sung it,” he shares. “So when I got to Power Station that day, I wanted to capture the first time I ever sang that song, which is what that performance is. Actually, it’s the only time because I haven’t done any solo performances since then that would give me the opportunity to do it live. So that version is the only time I ever sang that song. There’s a vulnerability in there, which is inherent in the song as well, obviously, and an emotional connection to it anytime you sing something for the first time.”

Watch Warren Haynes Perform Tammy Wynette’s “‘Til I Can Make it on My Own’

According to Haynes in his interview with UCR, the version of “Melissa” came about casually. “Derek and I were holed up in a little house with a film crew and a little audio crew to do ‘These Changes’ and ‘Real, Real Love.’ When we finished, I think he suggested maybe we should just play a cover or something extra,” he recalls. “One of us brought up ‘Melissa,’ and we thought, ‘Well, yeah, let’s do one take of it; if it’s good, we’ll use it. If not, we won’t.’

“So we did that one take of ‘Melissa,’ without discussing it beforehand. We’ve played it enough times where we didn’t have to think about what was going to happen,” he explains. “At the end of the song, he’s playing a solo; he kind of looks at me; I take over and start playing a solo. That’s something we’ve done hundreds of times before, and it turned out pretty cool. So it’s like, ‘Well, yeah, we should include it.’ It has an intimate vibe that captures the moment of us doing one of my all-time favorite Gregg Allman songs for sure.”

Watch Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks Perform ‘Melissa’

Warren Haynes and Gov’t Mule will perform their fan-favorite Halloween concerts on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. This year’s Mule-o-Ween will celebrate Aerosmith, an appropriate way to conclude their current Back in the Saddle tour. It has also been recently announced that Haynes’ annual Christmas Jam will return for the first time since 2022.

Listen to Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks on the ‘UCR Podcast’