The best artist in America for me.
Joe Taylor
Record of the Day
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The last public event I attended before COVID lockdown was a concert in Pittsburgh where he opened for Sturgill Simpson. I swear, half the crowd left after Childers was done. I’ve never seen anything like it.
As for his politics, check out his song (and video) “In Your Love,” and the heat he took for it. It’ll explain all you need to know.
Lastly, my then 17 and 21yo daughters “stole” the tickets I had bought to see him last summer. They would choose him over Taylor Swift in a second, which I admit is unusual. But it speaks to his very broad appeal.
The dude is sneaky popular.
John Dick
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Tyler sold out the University of Kentucky football stadium in Lexington a few weeks ago. His opening act was Wynonna. As in Judd.
He’s also a great guy. We used him in a pro bono TV spot during COVID and he donated his services.
If you know, you know.
Best regards
David Vawter
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I’m assuming when you say he doesn’t have a hit you mean that he hasn’t charted. But I’ll tell you, I’m not a country music fan, but have 3 kids aged 20-24 and Tyler Childers is at the top of their lists of artist they listen too. And if his song Feathered Indians isn’t a hit….then I’m not sure what is. I’ve heard that song 100’s of times with my kids and their friends and they all sing every word…and I live in the heart of Dallas so maybe that has something to do with it, but from where I sit Tyler is a star and Feathered Indians is absolutely a “hit”. And I love that song too!
Now go listen to Zach Top…he’s next.
Chad Jones
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Tyler played on my little stage in the specialty camp I managed at Bonnaroo 2018. He literally brought his middle school teacher Dave along for the ride and had him playing on stage. The teacher is better known as the Laid Back Country Picker and he was telling me how he knew Tyler was going somewhere after Tyler shared some poems he’d written with him back then.
One of my friends and former bosses, Emily Cox, does Tyler’s set design among other creative work for him. We have all known about him for a long while. He is the real deal and a very nice guy.
Beth Hardy McLennan
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As someone who loves heavy hardcore music, Tyler often ends up intermingled amongst some of the heaviest songs on earth when I hit the randomiser button on my iTunes library. He ALWAYS holds his own.
Check the acoustic Whitehouse Road on his OurVinylSessions live record. The only thing in music I have heard intensity wise that matches the way he sings ‘lawmen women or a shallow graves, same old blues just a different day’ was when Zach refrained ‘you’ve got a bullet in your head’ in rage against the machine.
Tyler is arguably the most exciting artist I have ever heard in my life and after all these years of listening, I still have no idea why.
It’s just really special
Paul Clegg
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It’s his voice, unique and sorrowful, cuts to the very essence of what is soul.
Julien Jørgensen
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Tyler spoke up for BLM surrounding the Floyd thing. He posted online and said he realized that a lot of of his fan base would be at odds with his position. I was already a fan but that’s when he got me for life.
I don’t know how I found him. I’ve been listening for years. I fell in love with his solo unplugged version of White House Rd. from some YouTube thing.
Oh I just looked it up. Eight years ago I was talking about this dude. I wonder how it found me.
Ben Davis
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I knew “You’re all mine….” before the pandemic. Then heard a rarity (even detailed by you) a protest song. A Long Violent History was played in LA the other night and it just resonates.
Sean Tighe
Havertown PA
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UK loves Tyler too (including me)! He’s playing the O2 in London in the autumn. 20k cap. Not the right venue for him imho (too big), but it demonstrates his appeal.
Andy Fordyce
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Tyler is a real southerner with a real consciousness. It’s SO GREAT to have a young southern musician/writer who is not afraid to speak their mind. Someone who has “progressive” (basic humanity) values.
Take your toes in the sand and beer at the beach “country” music and shove it. Which side are you on?!
Kirby Hamel
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reading you for 13 years now….Tyler is the best one you have introduced me to! Thanks!
Chris Rodinis
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Love your stuff Bob. I was at that show to see Tyler and my great friend Robert Earl Keen who was the opener and introduced Tyler. Yes, Tyler has never has had a hit but Feathered Indians has now had almost 600 million spins on Spotify. Isn’t that amazing that an Americana/country song could do that? I think so. It shows that sometime the listening public gets it right. As you wrote, the show was great. How about when he played those love songs out in the middle of the audience? As an early fan, I’m so happy to see him get the recognition and success he deserves.
Will Vogt
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It’s not rural south…this is Appalachia. It’s a different American story Bob and he’s just the guy to tell it. There’s no more authentic artist than he. Glad you loved the show.
Best,
Jeff Rabhan
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Tyler is doing so much right. And to be doing it from eastern KY is special. He’s from the same neck of the woods (literally) as Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapleton and before them, Dwight Yoakam. And his accent isn’t just rural southern. It’s the hills (pronounced ‘heels’) of eastern KY. Nasal with the strongest twang.. Yep, the hard stuff. No polish here.
His buildup has been a slow burn starting in Pineville & Pikeville but now he regularly sells out Rupp Arena (23,000) in Lexington (where he taught voice for a while).
I’m looking forward to the Rick Rubin-produced album.
As someone from “the 606” myself, it’s fantastic to watch and ride along in the cheapest of seats. He’s the real deal.
Tim Wood
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Loved reading this piece on Tyler Childers, Bob!
Re: wondering how fans found Tyler Childers… I found him because a local band I like plays “Whitehouse Road” as one of the covers in their set. So random. Found it on Spotify and went down the Tyler Childers rabbit hole from there.
Sarah Martin
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Great write up of a great artist. We in the Drive-By Truckers/ Isbell/ Sturgill community have know about Tyler for a while. Country Squire was the big breakthrough, with semi-hit “Your’n”. The triple album “Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven” from ’22 was terrific; three versions of the same record, touching on Memphis gospel, Elton John, and Electronica.
I saw Tyler open with his band for the Rolling Stones in a stadium in Orlando last summer and he absolutely killed it, earning an invite out to duet on “Dead Flowers” with Mick.
There’s plenty of good music out there you just gotta poke around.
If they’re not on your radar yet, highly recommend the Drive-By Truckers. Deeper and way smarter than the name would indicate.
Dave Arbiter
Margaritaville, Daytona Beach, FL
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Just like I was, you are several years late to Tyler. His breakthrough album, Purgatory was released in 2017, and I didn’t get my first taste until roughly three years ago.
Purgatory is a masterpiece in songwriting. Minimal production – just great lyrics and melodies. He was my number one played artist on Spotify for two years in a row, and it was only songs off that album, and I don’t even consider myself a country/bluegrass guy.
Please go explore that album, well worth the time. The opening number sets the tone, and is my personal favorite, even though Feathered Indians is the biggie. It’s hard to find a no-skipper these days, so when I find one, I have to tell you about it!
-jared jones
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Tyler is interesting in how he has built his career. He’s definitely not a “Nashville guy”. I first became aware of him in 2017 when Miles Miller, who is Sturgill Simpson’s drummer, began talking him up online. The Sturgill-produced Purgatory album came out and got my attention. He did a three night solo acoustic residency at the Basement (150 capacity) in September of that year and I believe Miles sat in with him for part of it. I first saw him in December of that year when he returned with his band to headline the larger Basement East venue (575 capacity). That show sold out almost instantly and everyone there knew the words to every song-not just those from Purgatory, but ones from his earlier locally released records as well.
He returned in the Spring of 2018 to open 2 nights of Margo Price’s 3 night Ryman Auditorium residency. I was at both of those and the crowd was there as much for him as they were Margo (who is an amazing artist as well!)
By the time Country Squire came out in 2019 he and his band had toured extensively in the US and Europe and appeared on both Fallon and Kimmel.
The turning point from my perspective was early 2020. Tyler headlined 4 nights at the Ryman, one of which I saw. The merchandise line prior to the show was one of the longest I’ve ever seen at the Ryman. Then Sturgill Simpson launched his first arena tour, the ‘Good Look’n’ tour in support of his left-turn rock album, Sound and Fury, with Tyler and his band as the special guest. Sound and Fury was a divisive record among Sturgill fans. Some loved it, some hated it.
I was at the first show in Birmingham on February 21. After Tyler played, there was a break and when Sturgill took the stage he played Sound and Fury all the way through before returning to his earlier work. I loved it, but by the time Sturgill had finished his second song, there were a noticeable amount of people leaving the arena, enough that Sturgill himself commented on it.
That was the point, in my mind, when Tyler became fully established as an artist with a fan base that was loyal, committed to his music, and growing. Last time I saw him was in August of last year, at a sold out Folsom Field Stadium at the U of Colorado. From what I can tell he has stayed fiercely loyal to his Ashland Kentucky/Huntington West Virginia roots-choosing to live around his family and long time friends. When you talk about people wanting authentic, he embodies it. That’s what resonates with me and I would imagine, with most of his fans.
Jim Blaney
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I live in Philadelphia and I play 4 to 5 nights a week. For the past three years or so every time I play at a university in the Philadelphia area weather Villanova Trexall Saint Joseph’s or Vilna University, Pennsylvania they have been always asking me for the last three years to play Tyler Childers. So I did my job. I learned a handful of his songs. It doesn’t matter where I play what university or if I’m down in Center City, Philadelphia or out in the suburbs Philadelphia everybody knows Tyler Childers. I did not learn about them from the radio or anything. I learned about them from the dozens and dozens and dozens request which began over three years ago.I can’t explain it all. I know I have a job to do. When people start requesting a certain artist over and over and over like Tyler Childers or Morgan Wallen. I learned those songs. It’s a mystery but it’s a good mystery.
Kenn Kweder
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I’m a bluegrass guy-an obviously niche market (and thankfully not nearly as right leaning as it once was) and Tyler came up through this roots avenue. He’s played a few sold out Red Rocks shows over the past few years and something that I found very impressive was how he handled both his openings acts as well as promotion of other music in the area when he was here in CO. Bringing in bands who would seemingly never have the opportunity to play such a venue as well as bringing hip hop acts to open for him, understanding about bringing diversity to his audiences. But the thing I found most impressive was that the morning between his 2 sold out Red Rocks a couple years ago himself and his band went to a local elementary school, set up, and performed for the kids and faculty.
That screams of authenticity and to me in this world of constant show, he really stands out.
Jason Hicks
Blue Canyon Boys
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Tyler Childers is THE SH*T. He’s Sturgill-stubborn, meaning he follows his own muse, labels be damned. He even released three different versions of his 2022 album, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
His backing band is called the Food Stamps, a little clue to where his heart lies. I discovered him three or so years ago, when YouTube’s algorithm served me his version of the Dead’s Greatest Story Ever Told, replete with band intros and vamping instrumental jam: https://youtu.be/U6QMsnlL7DY?si=jr_AvqnRoovIjMnS
I loved his magnetism, leaned into the Food Stamps’ mighty groove and went on a deep, deep dive. He’s now at the top of my very short ‘must see’ list.
John Kendle
Winnipeg, Canada
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Yes Bob to all of this! When the pandemic started here in Canada, we shut ourselves in at the cottage, stocked the beer fridge and worked on our playlists. We spent a lot of time in the garage by the woodstove, playing cribbage and listening to music. That’s when we discovered Tyler Childers. So my boyfriend loves country (ugh) and I’m so in love with classic rock. The Outlaw country was a compromise and we discovered a lot of decent bands! Authentic and amazing guitar players like you mentioned. I thought Whitehouse road was a hit. It seemed like everyone we knew was listening to it. Anyways, our neighbours gave us tickets to Tyler Childers at Ottawa Bluesfest last year and I was so impressed! He has a groove and I was digging it. I’m not kidding you, he reminded me a smidge of Gord Downie…and that’s huge. My friend leaned in and said are you getting Gord Downie vibes and I said yes absolutely holy sh*t!
Wondering about their political views – yes me too! I started doing that because one of my favourites The Screamin’ Cheetah Wheelies are from Tennessee and I wondered how I couldn’t hear their southern accents and maybe they don’t have a twang and maybe they’re not Republican and maybe I’m completely ridiculous because it’s sooooo likely they’re all God Guns and Trump?! And I’m just going to listen to the music because I can handle the odd shout out to God but no more than that.
Susan Schreider
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Bob, he’s had NO radio hits, but he’s been wildly talked about even before he was putting out records.
Tyler is a singular talent, true to the Kentucky he comes from. Bluegrass underpinnigs, Appalachian heart: it cuts into you that almost bray. AND his intensity. Few people mean it as much as Childers, who is respectful, almost shy and burning inside for his heart.
Sturgill as an ally is a good thing.
Jeremy Tepper, from SiriusXM Outlaw Country + Willie’s Roadhouse*, wasn’t just a believer, but a champion who knew how to program Childers’ music for the win to people primed to like it.
AND like Willie, when he went back to Texas, Childers understands be true to the music, passionate + forthright, have a band that jangles with you? You’re winning.
Saw him debut his last album at the Grand Ole Opry, both proud/dignified AND passionate/joyful.
People want authenticity, That’s what permeates every line you wrote below. Tyler, so unlike most of us, so truly the hollers most will never see, is just that. It’s why the production feels off-kilter and fascinating. Who needs smokebombs with that voice + that band?
You can’t know ’til you see. Unless your friends turn you on.
Welcome to the club —
Holly Gleason
* and it’ll be one year ago tomorrow, we lost Tepper. Came to Cleveland to see Mojo Nixon’s artifacts in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — alongside roots iconoclasts Dan Baird (Georgia Satellites), Warner Hodges (Jason & the Scorchers), Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (the Del-Lords) + Cait O’Riordan (the Pogues) — flew home to be with his family, and passed. Tepper knew how to slip artists like Tyler, Charlie Crockett, Joshua Ray Walker + elder country icons from John Anderson to Emmylou Harris to Kristofferson into a space of honor in our culture.
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My contention for why people love Childers:
– He doesn’t use complex chord arrangements (most songs are G, C Am, F kinda thing using a capo to change keys…
– his image and lyrics are the opposite of everything shi*ty about Nashville manifested in people like Luke Bryan
– he’s independent so much so that I would go so far as to say he’s a modern day Outlaw country act a la Kristofferson/Willie Nelson/Jennings
– His voice is upper register
– Sounds as good live as on record
– great melodies
– and his lyrics paint a picture of his image which is that of a badass – blue AND white collar folk think he’s cool and true and real when he sings about cocaine and gettin stone ragin blind etc…
Like this line from his song Charleston Girl:
“Charleston girl in a darkened room
And you don’t know her like I do
We took the fire escape to her room
And got stoned, ragin’ blind”
And later on in that song:
“I don’t know if it’s the wine or the coke
That makes her sound like her jaw is broke”
You can hear in early Zach Bryan lyrics his love for Childers music – no doubt he would’ve inspired Bryan to write his own songs. The album that put Childers on the map came out 2017 – so a bunch of kids saw his success then and now 8 years later are writing their own stuff …
From Zach Bryan’s Flying or Crying:
“We’ll find a porch to hold us
Where we could all scream “Childers”
Drink the sh*t that kills us
Until we all remember”
Bryan sees himself as a Kerouacian rogue, smokin cigs, drinking JD, blastin’ Cash, live fast die hard… and I think Childers was the first for a lot of young listeners to express that kind of raison d’etre…
Childers is in a lane of his own… and yes I’m a fan.
James Rose
