The Long Surrender
2026 studio album by Needtobreathe
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The Long Surrender is the tenth studio album by the American rock band Needtobreathe. The album was released on March 27, 2026, via MCA Nashville and Drive All Night Records to CD, LP, digital download, and streaming formats.
| The Long Surrender | ||||
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| Released | March 27, 2026 | |||
| Length | 44:25 | |||
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| Singles from The Long Surrender | ||||
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The Long Surrender was supported by the release of two singles—"Momma Loves Me" on September 5, 2025, and "Where You Call Home" on November 14, 2025—and two promotional singles: "The Long Surrender" on January 23, 2026, and "Highlands" on February 27, 2026. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and written primarily by Bear Rinehart; one song was co-written with John-Luke Carter. It features a guest appearance from the Red Clay Strays.
Release and promotion
The lead single from The Long Surrender, a "comforting ballad" titled "Momma Loves Me", was released on September 5, 2026. The song featured a guest appearance from The Red Clay Strays.[1][2] On August 27, 2025, the song was announced for upcoming release and made available for preorder.[3][4] "Momma Loves Me" first came into being after, backstage at a concert in Brooklyn, New York, Rhinehart shared a demo of the song with The Red Clay Strays' frontman Brandon Coleman. Coleman was moved upon hearing the recording, and requested that he be featured on the completed track.[5] A short documentary was premiered exclusively on Rolling Stone to demonstrate the process in which they recorded the song.[2] The song was supported by the release of a lyric video, which was released to YouTube.[6]
On November 14, 2025, Needtobreathe released the second single from The Long Surrender, titled "Where You Call Home".[7] The song "reflects a bittersweet longing for one's place in this world", containing "rich harmonies" and "delicate instrumentation". Rinehart claimed that the song "isn't necessarily about a place", but is more so about "the rituals and reminders that pull us back to who we really are".[8]
On January 23, 2026, the album's title track, "The Long Surrender", was released as the album's first promotional single.[9] That same day, the album was announced for its upcoming release, and alongside the release, was made available for preorder through the band's official website.[10][11] It was followed by the album's second, and final promotional single, "Highlands", which was released on February 27, 2026.[12] Both releases were promoted by lyric videos, which were uploaded to YouTube.[13][14]
Style
Development
The album was produced by Cobb at his own studio in Savannah, Georgia.[2] The album's twelve songs were written by Rhinehart during a "deeply personal, therapeutic writing season".[15] Rhinehart explained the writing process behind the album's creation, saying,[15][9]
This record's different from any other because we didn't set out to actually make one. I think the album actually found us at a time we really needed it. The whole process of the record was surrendering — surrendering to the process and to all sorts of things going on in our lives... It felt like the record was a gift that wasn't ours to control. I wasn't even thinking about writing a record — I was just trying to get my head around what I wanted my life to look like going forward. This album clarified that I have to put my convictions in front of anything else. In many ways, it feels like our very first record.
Composition
The album contains string elements. Alli Patton of Holler observed the use of "nimble plucks, a distant beat and resonant keys," which she described as "all-powerful in its simplicity," also containing "gorgeous harmonies and striking lead vocals."[16] Music Corporation of America described it as having "harmonies, keys, slide guitar, and subtle percussion," causing it to be "stripped-down but elegant prayerful."[5] Billboard observed that the album contains "soulful, gospel music-tinged harmonies", demonstrating themes of "forgiveness, grace and gratefulness".[17]
Tours
The album was supported with Needtobreathe touring on the Barely Elegant Acoustic Tour in late 2025.[15] The Barely Elegant Acoustic Tour visited eighteen locations in the United States, beginning November 6, 2025, and continuing until December 7, 2025.[18] In March 2026, they announced The Long Surrender Tour for summer of that year. The tour visited 25 venues in the United States, visiting the first location on August 12, 2026 and the final location on September 20, 2026.[19]
Reception
Critical
The Long Surrender received generally positive rece[tion from critical audiences. Scoring the album 3.5/5, Tincan Caldwell of Jesus Freak Hideout also found that the album "never really takes off tempo-wise" and remains "low-key" and "folky" throughout. Caldwell was critical of this factor and wrote that the album "feels only half-baked". In a second review for Jesus Freak Hideout, Noah Schmidt claimed The Long Surrender to be, in comparison with previous albums, "unarguably the group's most mellow one to date". He was also critical of the "complete lack of upbeat tunes". He appreciated the album's "lyrical depth", but failed to find the production "interesting".[20]
Commercial
Within its first charting frame, The Long Surrender debuted on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart at number 23.[21] Additionally, it appeared at number 22 on the Top Americana/Folk Albums chart and number 6 on the Top Christian Albums chart.[22][23] The album contained one charted track, "Say It Now", which entered the Hot Christian Songs chart at number 43 upon the release of the album.[24]
Track listing
All tracks are written by William Rinehart; "Strangeness of It All" written with John-Luke Carter.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Long Surrender" | 3:45 |
| 2. | "Say It Now" | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Highlands" | 3:44 |
| 4. | "Sing Me to Savannah" | 4:09 |
| 5. | "Where You Call Home" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Strangeness of It All" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Take Me Dancing" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "The Door" | 3:18 |
| 9. | "Growing Slow" | 2:46 |
| 10. | "Momma Loves Me" (featuring the Red Clay Strays) | 3:29 |
| 11. | "Take the Blame" | 3:54 |
| 12. | "Spread the Ashes" | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 44:25 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from Tidal.[26]
Needtobreathe
- Tyler Burkum – guitar (1–5, 7–11); background vocals, bass (1–5, 7–9, 11, 12); production (2, 6, 11, 12), lap steel guitar (4); acoustic guitar, electric guitar (6); slide guitar (12)
- Randall Harris – drums (1–4, 7–9, 12), percussion (2–5, 8, 10–12), production (2, 6, 11, 12)
- Josh Lovelace – background vocals (1, 2, 4–9, 11, 12), piano (1, 3, 4, 6–9, 11), organ (1, 3, 4, 6–8, 12), keyboards (2, 5, 10), production (2, 6, 11, 12), synthesizer (3, 8, 9), vocals (3), mandolin (5), celesta (6), harmonica (9, 10), acoustic guitar (12)
- Bear Rinehart – vocals (all tracks), guitar (1, 2, 5–11), production (2, 6, 11, 12), harmonica (11), piano (12)
Additional contributors
- Dave Cobb – production (1, 3–11), percussion (1, 7, 9), mixing (1, 10, 12), guitar (1), acoustic guitar (10)
- Tom Tapley – engineering (1, 3–11)
- Phillip Smith – engineering (2, 12)
- Berto Sewald – additional engineering (5, 6, 8)
- Ethan Barrette – second engineering (1, 3–11)
- Jack Emblem – mixing (2–9, 11)
- Pete Lyman – mastering (5, 10)
- Daniel Bacigalupi – mastering (5)
- Bre Kennedy – background vocals (4)
- Maureen Murphy – background vocals (4)
- Jon Truman – drums (6)
- Gideon Boley – lap steel guitar (6)
- Drew Nix – slide guitar (10)
- Brandon Coleman – vocals (10)
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Americana/Folk Albums (Billboard)[22] | 22 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[21] | 23 |
| US Top Christian Albums (Billboard)[23] | 6 |
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | March 27, 2026 |
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[9] |