The Creative Journey Behind “These Changes” ft. Derek Trucks

The Creative Journey Behind “These Changes” ft. Derek Trucks

The inspiration for Derek Trucks’ involvement in this project stemmed from a song called Real, Real Love, which had been started by Gregg Allman but never completed. I had the privilege of finishing it, and once I did, I immediately reached out to Derek. I told him, “Hey, I just wrapped up this tune that Gregg had begun, and I’d love for you to be part of the recording process.”

From there, I traveled down to Derek’s place near Macon, Georgia, where we dedicated three days solely to writing music. That was our sole focus—creating new songs together. During that time, we composed several pieces, including These Changes and Hall of Future Saints, along with a few others that I suspect will surface in the future.

One key moment in the songwriting process came when Mike Mattison happened to be visiting Derek’s place. He was about to leave for a 90-minute drive back home, but before departing, he contributed valuable thoughts on the overall vibe of These Changes. Though the song was still in its early stages when he left, his input helped shape its direction. Afterward, Derek and I continued refining it over those three days, working late into the night and reassessing our ideas the next day. It was the most extensive songwriting collaboration that Derek and I had ever undertaken together, making it a particularly memorable and rewarding part of the creative process.

By the time our three-day writing session concluded, we had work tapes of several songs in different stages of completion. I felt drawn toward These Changes and Hall of Future Saints as key tracks for my upcoming record, which was already in the works. From there, the conversation shifted toward recording: “Let’s find a time to get into the studio and record these songs together.”

It was important to both Derek and me that he be physically present during the recording process rather than contributing remotely. Fortunately, we were able to coordinate a time for him to be in the studio. However, our usual bassist, Kevin Scott, wasn’t available on the same days as Derek. That led me to reach out to Andy Hess, former bassist for Gov’t Mule. Andy had recently played a one-off gig with me, Terence Higgins, and John Medeski, which had gone exceptionally well, so it felt natural to bring him back into the fold. He stepped in and recorded bass on three tracks, delivering an outstanding performance.

Looking back, this entire process was an incredibly organic and fulfilling experience. The writing sessions with Derek, the collaborative efforts in refining the music, and the chemistry in the studio all contributed to making These Changes a special track. It represents not just a song but a meaningful creative journey that brought together some of the finest musicians in a way that felt truly authentic.