Tyler Childers has loved music since his days singing in the church choir as a boy. But it’s in recent years that the Kentucky native’s tunes resonated with country music fans beyond a niche following. His unique sound is something invaluable and lends to the honesty in his voice. And it’s a strength he’s possessed for a long time, as demonstrated by this emotional performance of his hit “Whitehouse Road” from 2017.
It’s impossible not to recognize Childers immediately as his vocal stylings are incredibly authentic. “Whitehouse Road” is a folksy, knee-bounce-inducing hit from his 2013 album “Live on the Red Barn.” Often writing about his home and roots, Childers’ tune is a reflection of his upbringing.
The well-known hit is a mix of country and folk, which pair well with his gravelly voice. The song touches on nostalgia for his youth and living a wild and free existence. The “Nose to the Grindstone” singer often writes from his personal experiences and this tune is no different.
“Get me drinking’ that moonshine
Get me higher than the grocery bill
Take my troubles to the highwall
Throw’em in the river and get your fill
We been sniffing that cocaine
Ain’t nothin’ better when the wind cuts cold
Lord it’s a mighty hard livin’
But a damn good feelin’ to run these roads,” the chorus chimes.
Check out the emotionally charged rendition below:
Tyler Childers: Blazing His Own Trail in Country Music
While Childers always had a following in the bluegrass/country/folk genre, he garnered national attention following the release of his 2017 album “Purgatory.” The album was also produced by fellow singer/songwriter Sturgill Simpson. The record debuted at number one on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart.
Since that time, Childers music was also famously used in “Yellowstone” on multiple occasions. “Lady May” is somewhat of a theme song for Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.
Further, when Childers released “House Fire” in 2019, “All Your’n” became a major hit. For the song, he was nominated at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Solo Performance.
It’s also safe to say that Childers has a lot more to accomplish as he redefines what country music is all about. The singer has also been outspoken about country versus Americana. And he spoke about his frustrations with the genre during an interview with World Cafe.
“Everybody always talks about the state of country music and puts down commercial country and [says] “something’s gotta be done” and “we need to be elevating artists that are doing more traditional country.” But then we’re not calling those artists country artists, they’re getting put into this Americana thing. It is what it is, and I don’t really know how to define what Americana is. We’re our own thing, it’s a new time, and I don’t know what it’s called but I’ve been calling it country, y’know? I think, a lot of times, it’s kind of become just a costume.”
