Tyler Childers Drops Surprise Old-Time Fiddle Album Called Long Violent History

Artist: Tyler Childers

Album: Long Violent History

Label: Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records

Release date: 9/17/20

In a surprise album drop (in more ways than one), Tyler Childers released an old-time fiddle album yesterday titled Long Violent History that will dedicate its proceeds to The Hickman Holler Appalachian Relief Fund, established in 2020 by Senora May and Tyler Childers to bring awareness and financial support for philanthropic efforts in the Appalachian Region.

Childers' latest work features a collection of eight instrumental fiddle tunes — "Send In The Clowns," "Bonaparte's Retreat," "Camp Chase," "Midnight on the Water" and more. 

The album closes with a ninth song called "Long Violent History," a Childers original that finds the singer addressing civil unrest and systemic racism. 

He sings, "Now what would you get if you heard my opinion conjecturing on matters that I ain’t never dreamed/ In all my born days, this white boy from Hickman, based on the way that the world’s been to me/ It’s called me belligerent, it’s took me for ignorant but it ain’t never once made me scared just to be/ Could you imagine just constantly worrying, kicking and fighting begging to breathe?" 

Musician and album contributor Don Beamons had this to say about the new project, "For this epic recording session in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, Tyler Childers and his bandmate Jesse Wells meticulously curated a modern string band known as “The Pickin’ Crew”. This group of stellar Americana artists included myself, 5-string Kentucky banjo specialist John Haywood, mandolinist Andrew Marlin, guitarist Josh Oliver, upright bassist John R. Miller, fiddler Chloe Edmonstone and cellist Cecelia Wright. Although Tyler has been playing the fiddle for under a year, his style and technique as learned under the tutelage of Jesse Wells proves that Kentucky string band music is in his blood. The tunes presented in this album Long Violent History showcase the variety of fiddle styles that are profoundly represented in the American music lexicon."

He goes on, "The century old songs presented on this record represent a time capsule and a musical artifact. Tyler’s tintype photograph on the cover transcends the modern era and harkens back to the birth of American Popular music of the 1920’s when songsters and Tin Pan Alley songwriters created hits for Broadway. His presentation of Kentucky music and his debut as a fiddler are a reminder that roots music is still a thriving community. Listen to the music, meditate with it, flow along with the melodies, and let the rhythm seep into your mind. These songs are meant to last another hundred years, yet it is supposed to tell a new story about the struggles that lie within our generation. Tyler Childers, placing his fiddle on the wall chose to premiere only one original song where he sings: "Long Violent History," a final powerful and poignant statement. Backed by the Pickin’ Crew, the nine tracks invite us into Tyler’s world deep within the mountains of eastern Kentucky where the blue grass, the high weeds, and the kudzu grow. This environment created the perfect inspiration for the record, and it’s been an honor to add some extra magic to the sessions."