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Latest News: Tyler Childers Gears Up for North American Tour
Tyler Childers is poised to continue the North American leg of his extensive Mule Pull ’24 Tour. The 32-year-old artist launched this segment of his concert series on March 14 in Luck, Texas. For those who missed the kickoff, there’s still plenty of opportunity to catch his performance, with 40 dates remaining on the tour. The next show is scheduled for April 5 in San Diego, with the tour running through September 22.
Childers, known for his hit “In Your Love,” announced in September 2023 that he and his band, the Food Stamps, would be hitting the road to promote his album Rustin’ In The Rain. The tour was expanded in October to include 23 additional dates across the United States and Canada.
Notably, Childers will not be performing on April 7, the night of the 2024 CMT Music Awards. This is a significant date for him, as he is a first-time nominee competing for both Video of the Year and Breakthrough Video of the Year with “In Your Love.”
Who Is Tyler Childers?
Tyler Childers, a distinguished country-folk musician, has garnered considerable acclaim throughout his career, including seven Grammy nominations. His work has been recognized in various categories, such as Best Folk Album for his 2020 release Long Violent History and Best Country Album for his 2023 album Rustin’ In The Rain. Hailing from the rich musical landscape of Eastern Kentucky, Childers initially rose to prominence with his second studio album, Purgatory, in 2017. Over the course of his career, he has released six studio albums, with a notable emphasis on weaving social commentary into his music, as exemplified by tracks like “Long Violent History” and “In Your Love.”
Where Is Tyler Childers From?
Tyler Childers, born Timothy Tyler Childers on June 21, 1991, hails from Lawrence County, Kentucky, situated near the West Virginia border. Raised in a region heavily influenced by country music, Childers grew up in an environment that nurtured musical talent. The area around Route 23, approximately 20 minutes away from his hometown, is celebrated as Kentucky’s Country Music Highway. This region has been home to notable artists such as Dwight Yoakam, Loretta Lynn, and Chris Stapleton, and Childers would eventually join their ranks as a distinguished musician.
Childers’ early life was marked by significant challenges. Born with clubfoot, a congenital condition causing both feet to twist, he underwent corrective surgeries at the ages of 8 months and 5 years. This involved a year-long period spent in a wheelchair and a subsequent phase of relearning to walk. Throughout his childhood, he attended regular check-ups at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Lexington until he turned 18.
Describing himself as a “very sensitive child,” Childers experienced a sense of isolation despite being raised with his sister and surrounded by family and cousins. His involvement in his church group, marked by intense fire-and-brimstone teachings, contributed to his emotional stress. Childers reflected on this experience in an interview with The Bitter Southerner, noting that the intent of his parents was not to cause fear, but the teachings had that effect on him.
During his physical recovery and throughout his youth, Childers found solace in literature and initially harbored aspirations of becoming a writer, with a particular affinity for the works of Jack Kerouac.
Musical Beginnings
From a young age, Childers demonstrated a keen interest in music. He began by performing for his Free Will Baptist Church congregation and learned to play guitar chords from his grandfather. By the age of 13, he was already composing his own songs. His musical influences included classic rock, a genre favored by his father, as well as country music, with notable artists such as Hank Williams Jr., Ricky Skaggs, and Alabama shaping his early taste.
At 15, Childers transferred to Paintsville High School, where he played guitar during lunch breaks to ease his transition. His musical talent quickly garnered attention, leading his classmates to invite him to perform at social gatherings and exposing him to a wider range of musical styles. After graduating in 2009, Childers briefly attended Western Kentucky University and Bluegrass Community & Technical College. However, he chose to leave academia to pursue various jobs that would support his burgeoning music career.
Albums and Songs: “In Your Love,” “All Your’n,” and Long Violent History
Tyler Childers began crafting his own music at a young age and released his debut album at 19. He garnered a modest following in Kentucky and West Virginia with his band, the Food Stamps, catching the attention of Miles Miller, a drummer for Sturgill Simpson. This connection proved pivotal for Childers’ career advancement.
Simpson co-produced Childers’ second album, Purgatory, which was released in August 2017. This album marked Childers’ breakthrough into the mainstream, debuting at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart and No. 2 on the Americana/Folk Albums chart, where it remained for an impressive 261 weeks. The success of Purgatory earned Childers the title of Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2018 Americana Honors & Awards.
Country Squire and “All Your’n”
In 2019, Childers achieved even greater success with the release of Country Squire, his major label debut under RCA. The album, highlighted by the country-soul ballad “All Your’n,” ascended to the No. 1 position on the Top Country Albums chart. This notable achievement also earned Childers his first Grammy nomination in 2020 for Best Country Solo Performance.
Long Violent History
Despite the country genre’s reputation for love songs and celebratory anthems, Tyler Childers has demonstrated a commitment to addressing pressing social and political issues through his music. His 2020 album, Long Violent History, and its eponymous track confront systemic racism and police brutality. In conjunction with the album’s release, Childers shared a powerful message on YouTube, urging his fellow Appalachians to engage with the Black community’s experiences, particularly in the context of nationwide protests following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and others.
Childers remarked, “What can the rest of us who feel seemingly outside of these issues do? We can stop being so taken aback by Black Lives Matter. If we didn’t need to be reminded, there would be justice for Breonna Taylor, a Kentuckian like me, and countless others.”
Long Violent History received a nomination for Best Folk Album at the subsequent Grammy Awards. Two years later, his 2022 album, Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, continued his exploration of social themes by addressing religious intolerance through its faith-based songs.
“In Your Love”
In a more recent development, Childers has shown his support for the LGBTQ community with his 2023 song “In Your Love,” which narrates a romance between two male coal miners from Appalachia. The accompanying music video featured actors Colton Haynes and James Scully, both of whom are openly gay.
Childers explained to NPR that the song was inspired by his gay cousin, who was a significant influence on his life and musical career. “For all the ugliness that it’s going to bring out that just can’t be helped, this video is going to make real conversations possible,” Childers said. “This is a story of two people sharing their love and living a life together and experiencing loss. That’s pretty powerful. Once you take away the flashcard phrases and knee-jerk reactions, how does that make you feel?”
“In Your Love” garnered three Grammy nominations in 2024, including Best Country Song, Best Music Video, and Best Country Solo Performance. Additionally, Childers received nominations for Best Country Album for Rustin’ In The Rain (2023) and Best Americana Performance for “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”
Wife and Son
In 2013, while working on a Kentucky farm, Childers met Senora May, a recent college graduate working as a house cleaner to earn extra income. Their relationship quickly developed, and they were married in July 2015.
Senora May is also a musician, having released two albums: Lainheart in 2018 and All of My Love in 2021. Together, the couple established the Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund in 2020, a charity dedicated to supporting causes such as education, civil rights, and addiction recovery.
Childers has expressed deep gratitude for May’s unwavering support as he pursued his music career. As reported by People, the couple initially moved in with Childers’ family to save for a home. During this period, they lived in a camper van while building their house. “For a good chunk of it, Senora May’s put up with me and been there for it,” Childers shared on his website. “And she stuck with me, so it’s really awesome because we told ourselves that if we made these sacrifices, or held off just a little longer and kept at this, maybe one day it might work out.”
In July 2022, May announced on Instagram that they were expecting their first child. The couple later shared the news of their son’s birth in May 2023, although they have chosen not to disclose his name publicly.
Sobriety
Now sober, Childers has openly addressed his past struggles with addiction to drugs and alcohol. In an interview with The Bitter Southerner in September 2023, he reflected on reaching a pivotal low point shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. During this period, after weeks of heavy partying on tour, he returned home in a state of severe disarray.
Childers shared, “All you can do is just nurse a hangover, and Senora doesn’t even want to be around you… and rightly so. If I had continued to drink—especially in the way that I was—she wouldn’t have stayed with me. She shouldn’t have stayed with me. I’m extremely blessed that she had the patience to endure my behavior for as long as she did.”
In September 2020, Childers disclosed that he had ceased drinking and using drugs six months prior. He has maintained his sobriety since that time.