Lord have mercy, it feels like Christmas Day.
If you haven’t heard yet, Tyler Childers has been teasing some new music here recently, and today, officially announced that a new single titled, “Angel Band” is on the way tomorrow.
Here’s a quick look at the “Angel Band” trailer:
Although he dropped his Long Violent History album back in 2020, the project was mostly an instrumental fiddle album (Tyler spent the pandemic sawing a fiddle), with only one track where Tyler is singing on it.
Besides that, we haven’t gotten any new music from the guy since his 2019 Country Squire album.
I was truly wondering if the guy would ever release any new music ever again, as he admitted during his Healing Appalachia virtual benefit concert the he had been thoroughly enjoying time away from the road. His wife is also expecting their first child so Tyler is in no rush to get back to touring like a madman.
Some unreleased songs have circulated here and there at a few shows Childers has been playing, but it hasn’t been until now that we finally have confirmation new music is on the way.
Since he began releasing the teasers to his Instagram account, I’ve found myself taking a dive into the vaults, trying to find some unreleased songs that may show up on his new album.
We compiled a whole bunch of them, especially a few Gospel ones, but in light of the new announcement, it looks that one might’ve been played before as well.
Some internet sleuths have pointed out this performance, which was just uploaded this morning. It’s from a few years back during his residency at Nashville’s The Basement.
He introduces “Angel Band” with a story about going to church with his grandpa, who never really secured his dentures properly in his mouth. He would also suck on some Werther’s Originals (classic grandpa candy) so between the loose dentures and the hard candy, there was a whole lot rattling around in there.
The man loved to sing classic country hymns, but with all that going on inside his mouth, it was damn near impossible.
So, he was inspired to write this song.
The song paints a picture of Heaven and the various folks that are up there worshipping together, and how when the songwriter passes on, he’ll join in with that angel band.
This rendition seems to have quite a bit more bluegrass influence than the tiny clip we heard this morning, so if it really is the same song, it’s safe to say that Tyler and the boys reworked it quite a bit.
Either way, it sounds like we’re going to be in for a good ol’ fashioned country Gospel song.
Get excited.