Tyler Childers
Huntington, West Virginia, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2011
Music
Press
“I've heard a ton of new artists, and now that he and his backing band have a new EP out, Live On Red Barn Radio, I feel more comfortable saying what I should have said back then: Tyler Childers is the finest songwriter to emerge from the Bluegrass State since Chris Knight and should be mentioned in the same breath as Fifth On the Floor, Sturgill Simpson, Chris Stapelton, and others who are currently leading the most notable renaissance of Kentucky music since Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs took Music City by storm 30 years ago. As demonstrated on the EP's four tracks, the 22-year-old Paintsville native is an extremely intelligent and literate songwriter, drawing influence not only from such modern heavyweights as Jason Isbell and Old Crow Medicine Show or folk-country pioneers like Prine or Van Zandt, but also the new strain of dark American literature led by Donald Ray Pollock and Frank Bill (who gets a shout-out in the liner notes).”
- Adam Sheets, Moonrunners (Nov 11, 2013) - Moonrunners
“Tyler released Bottle & Bibles at 19. It’s an album that I never would have reviewed on ninebullets but I would have noted Tyler as someone to pay attention to. It’s not a bad album, fuck there are glorious moments, but at 40 there are enough “that’s a kid talking” moments in it that I’d never listen to it on the reg, or, at all to be honest. Flash forward a few years and we get this live album. Four songs. All live. All recorded immaculately. All fan–fucking–tastic. This kid has grown up and I am not talking about age. I’m talking as a songwriter. At the risk of speaking in hyperbole, he reminds me of a young Isbell in a songwriting way. Get on board with this kid. At worst, you get 4 awesome songs At best, in 4 years you’ll be able to tell your buddies you been trying to tell them about Tyler for years and you’ll look amazing. It’s tough to do this since I don’t own the site anymore but I’m doing it anyhow. It may only be 4 songs but I’m dubbing this bit”
- Bryan Childs, Nine Bullets (Feb 14, 2014) - Nine Bullets
West Virginia singer Tyler Childers makes his first appearance on Mountain Stage, recorded live at Charleston, W.Va.'s Culture Center Theater. Over the years, Childers has amassed a loyal (and, as you'll hear in this set, vocal) fan base in Appalachia, and it's no wonder: With a voice like a young Eric Church and songwriting that'd make Jason Isbell proud, Tyler Childers' heartfelt Americana is at home in the hills and hollers.
Childers is joined by his band, The Food Stamps (classically trained violinist Molly Page and Huntington, W.Va.'s Rod Elkins on drums, Craig Burletic on upright bass and James Barker on guitar), for a few songs before they leave him to his acoustic, heart-wrenchingly beautiful devices for "Follow You To Virgie" and "Lady May." - NPR.org
Discography
Bottles & Bibles - 2011
Live on Red Barn Radio I - 2013
Live on Red Barn Radio II - 2014
Photos
Bio
Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky is a little town called, Paintsville, where the economy is dependent on the dying coal industry and a tradition of music thrives with the US 23 Country Music Highway Museum and Butcher Hollow. Carrying on the music tradition is native son and current Lexington, Kentucky resident, Tyler Childers.
Paintsville is located in the Big Sandy River Valley of Johnson County in Eastern Kentucky made famous for its lawlessness, religion, and booze, and a song about a horse thief, a rambling man, and an attempt to gain some good ol’ Appalachian self-justice is what “William Hill” is all about. Following his “Papaw” around to the Kentucky social institutions – church events and barber shops to name a few– as well as a lot of coon hunting with his dad, Tyler has heard a tale or two about the misadventures of a few good ol’ boys and he gives his own spin of these accounts behind a whisky-soaked voice well beyond his age of 23.
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