Tyler Childers
photo by David McClister

Tyler Childers releasing debut album produced by Sturgill Simpson (listen)

Kentucky singer/songwriter Tyler Childers is releasing his debut album Purgatory on August 4 via Hickman Holler Records/Thirty Tigers (pre-order). It was co-produced by crossover country great Sturgill Simpson, who also contributed guitar and backing vocals to the album. “I’d already had two opportunities to record [these songs] on my own. So I stepped back and let it go where Sturgill thought it needed to,” Tyler told Rolling Stone. “I didn’t come into the studio with a lot of expectations: ‘This is going to be this way, this is going to be that way.’ I obviously wouldn’t have needed him if I was going to be like that. [On “Whitehouse Road”], he suggested we slow it down and get it into this groovy pocket, and I said, ‘Alright, let’s see what it sounds like.'”

Southern rocker “Whitehouse Road” is the album’s second single, following the country-folk of “Lady May.” “I think [Sturgill and I] both wanted to make an album for east KY, and I reckon that’s what we did. It’s not about rock, or grass, or country…it’s just hollerin’ in the mountains and stirring shit up!” said Tyler. If you dig Sturgill’s genre-crossing Americana, you might dig these songs too and you can check them out below. Artwork and tracklist below too.

Sturgill and Tyler also brought in co-producer David Ferguson, who has worked with Sturgill before (and was the sound engineer for Johnny Cash’s late recordings). The album also features a backing band that Sturgill and David put together, including Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Miles Miller (drums, background vocals) and Russ Pahl (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, pedal steel, Jew’s harp).

Tyler is on tour now, which includes a stop at Nashville’s AmericanaFest in September with Iron & Wine, Drive-By Truckers, Deer Tick, Hiss Golden Messenger, Amanda Shires, Andrew Combs, Nicole Atkins, and more. He also opens for Drive-By Truckers in his home state not long after that fest. All dates are listed below.

Tracklist
1. I Swear (To God)
2. Feathered Indians

3. Tattoos

4. Born Again

5. Whitehouse Road

6. Banded Clovis

7. Purgatory

8. Honky Tonk Flame

9. Universal Sounds
10. Lady May 


Tyler Childers Purgatory

Tyler Childers — 2017 Tour Dates
July 7—Irvine, KY—Estill County Fair
July 8—Black Mountain, NC—Pisgah Brewing Company†
July 9—Wilmington, NC—Greenfield Lake Amphitheater†
July 13—Asheville, NC—Grey Eagle
July 15—Decatur, GA—Eddie’s Attic
July 16—Decatur, GA—Eddie’s Attic
July 21—Cascade, WV—Deep Roots Mountain Revival
July 23—Oslo, Norway—Cafe Mono
July 25—London, U.K. —The Slaughtered Lamb
July 26—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Paradiso
July 28—Prestonsburg, KY—Mountain Arts Center
August 1—Kansas City, MO—The Riot Room‡
August 3—Abilene, TX—Grace Museum
August 4—Amarillo, TX—Hoots Pub‡
August 5—Denver, CO—Lost Lake Lounge‡
August 6—South Fork, CO—Rhythms on the Rio
August 7—Phoenix, AZ—Valley Bar‡
August 9—San Diego, CA—The Casbah‡
August 10—Los Angeles, CA—The Echo‡
August 12—San Francisco, CA—Hotel Utah Saloon‡
August 15—Portland, OR—Doug Fir Lounge‡
August 16—Seattle, WA—Sunset Tavern‡
August 18— Whitefish, MT—The Remington Bar‡
August 19—Bozeman, MT—Live from the Divide
August 22—Minneapolis, MN—7th Street Entry‡
August 25—Friendship, IN—Whispering Beard Festival
August 26—Lexington, KY—MoonTower Music Festival
September 12-17—Nashville, TN—AmericanaFest
September 24—Hazard, KY—The Forum+

†with Yonder Mountain String Band
‡with special guest Sammy Brue
+with Drive-By Truckers