Of the album, Childers shares, “This is a collection of songs I playfully pieced together as if I was pitching a group of songs to Elvis. Some covers, one co-write, and some I even wrote in my best (terrible) Elvis impersonation, as I worked around the farm and kicked around the house. I hope you enjoy listening to this album as much as I enjoyed creating it. Thank you. Thank you very much.”
In advance of the release, the first single, “In Your Love,” is out now—watch the song’s official music video HERE. Written and creative directed by Silas House (with a story idea by House and Jason Kyle Howard), the video was directed by Bryan Schlam and stars Colton Haynes and James Scully and depicts a timeless love story of two men set in rural Appalachia in the 1950s.
House is a New York Times bestselling author, current Poet Laureate of Kentucky and recipient of the 2022 Duggins Prize—the largest award for an LGBTQ writer in the nation. Of the video, he shares, “As a gay teenager who loved country music, I could have never imagined seeing myself in a video. That visibility matters. There have always been LGBTQ people in rural places and finally we’re seeing that portrayed in a country music video. Tyler and I both felt the attention to detail about rural life was very important, so we made sure that the house and the people looked realistic for the time period instead of the stereotypes of country people that have become so ingrained in the public consciousness. We used our own family pictures as references. We wanted to tell as complex a story as we could in four minutes, not only about a gay couple, but also about rural people. We wanted to show their joy and their sorrow—all the things that make up a complex life. Too often simplistic notions are pushed about both rural and LGBTQ people, so we did everything we could to make this story as rich and layered as possible.”
Childers and his longtime band, The Food Stamps—James Barker (pedal steel), Craig Burletic (bass), CJ Cain (guitar), Rodney Elkins (drums), Chase Lewis (keyboards) and Jesse Wells (guitar, fiddle)—are currently in the midst of a 30-date sold-out nationwide tour. Upcoming stops include two nights at Radio City Music Hall, Boston’s Leader Bank Pavilion, DC’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, two nights at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre as well as two newly announced New Year’s Eve shows at Lexington’s Rupp Arena. For the full list of live dates visit www.tylerchildersmusic.com
The new album follows last year’s triple album, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, which featured eight songs presented in three distinct sonic perspectives—Hallelujah, Jubilee and Joyful Noise. Released to widespread acclaim, Esquire praised, “Who’s doing it better than Childers in roots music these days? No one,” while the Associated Press declared, “fearless exuberance…one of country music’s most compelling and unpredictable artists” and NPR Music asserted, “eight songs so good he had to record them thrice.” Before Hounds, Childers released 2020’s Grammy-nominated surprise album, Long Violent History, which NPR Music called an “explicit and remarkable stand in solidarity.” His two previous releases, 2019’s #1 Country Squire as well 2017’s RIAA Platinum debut, Purgatory, were released to overwhelming critical and commercial acclaim. In the years since his debut, Childers has earned two Grammy nominations and has been featured on “CBS This Morning,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert series and “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”
Tyler Childers and The Food Stamps, photo credit: Sam Waxman
www.tylerchildersmusic.com
