10 Unreleased Songs That Could Be Featured On Tyler Childers’ Upcoming Album ‘Snipe Hunter’

Tyler Childers has some new music on the way, but for tried and true fans, the ones who been here since Purgatory, it appears that his record might not feature that many “new” songs to them.

After dropping a teaser in the early morning hours on June 11th, Tyler Childers released a teaser clip for “something,” leaving fans convinced that Mr. Timmy Tyler would release a studio version of the fan favorite unreleased single “Oneida.”

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But in typical Tyler Childers fashion, he threw fans a curveball, releasing a studio cut of “Nose On The Grindstone,” along with the announcement of a forthcoming record, Snipe Hunter. However, the curveball wasn’t entirely a curveball, given that you can hear faint lyrics of “Nose On The Grindstone” in the background of that teaser clip he posted yesterday. Of course, I, along with everyone else, was hung up on the barber calling for his next client, “Oneida,” which led fans to speculate that it would be the lead single for this record’s announcement.

It’s clear that Tyler Childers is planting many Easter Eggs in front of fans’ faces now, and given the name of the record, Snipe Hunter, which is named after another unreleased gem in Childers’ catalog, “Snipe Hunter,” many fans are now speculating this 13-track record will feature a handful of songs from his archives. Tyler has confirmed that all the songs were written by him, so at least we won’t see any covers, but in the teaser video, he talks about the hunting club, which I’d assume is in reference to this tune. We also have references to “Oneida” and, as we were gifted today, “Nose On The Grindstone,” and many also thought the bird at the end was a reference to “Jersey Giant,” but it’s certainly not a Jersey Giant chicken.

The press release calls is a “thirteen-track collection that showcases the signature artistry he’s cultivated throughout his esteemed career, while continuing to push his own creative boundaries.” That could lead one to believe we’re going to see some old favorites, as well as some new material? It’s anybody’s guess, but if Childers chooses to tell a story on this record, wouldn’t it be perfect to follow up a song about “lovin’ older ladies” with a tried-and-true love ballad, “Her And The Banks”? I also feel like this could be a real possibility, given that the woman “Oneida” in the barbershop video has golden locks, which could represent “hair like the sun.”

After years of putting the song on ice, Tyler Childers has recently been performing “Jersey Giant” on the road. At first, I thought his reintroduction of it into his setlist felt too obvious to be included on the tracklist. But after the release of “Nose On The Grindstone” and all the other signs that we might get some songs from the archives, it now feels like a very real possibility that the tune makes it onto the record as well. For years, fans gave up hope that any of these songs would see studio time, and even getting a proper recording of “Nose On The Grindstone” is already a hot start for what could come.

Quite a few fans have also been speculating about what unreleased gems we might be blessed with on Snipe Hunter. Here’s 10 that could make the cut:

“Snipe Hunt”

A “snipe hunt” is essentially the hunter’s version of cow-tipping. It’s a joke that is generally reserved for newer hunters where you set off on a “snipe hunt,” looking for a creature that doesn’t exist. Only problem is that a snipe is a real bird so I’m not entirely sure how the joke originated. But also…. Tyler’s “Snipe Hunt” isn’t really about that… it’s about friends that aren’t really your friends.

“Jersey Giant”

Most of us know this one… a fan favorite that has since been recorded by Elle King, Sam Barber, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Evan Honer and Julia DiGrazia, and many more. A while back, Tyler likened it to an old coat that he bought but never really liked:

They can be like that coat you saw and had to have, only to get it home and think, ‘Why, gah, I ain’t never gonna wear this thing.’ Or, one that you got from an ex which you would rather just toss out. But that’s not saying anything against the coat, it just doesn’t fit me anymore and hasn’t for some time.”

However, he’s been performing it much more regularly lately, which has led fans to think it could be coming back.

“Oneida”

Nothing like a song about loving on some older ladies… of course, this one was heavily teased in the Snipe Hunter trailer, so if I was a betting woman, I’d say this is one of the more likely tunes we’ll see.

“Her & The Banks”

He still plays this one from time to time…. it’s become quite the fan favorite as of late.

“Messed Up Kid”

An all-time classic in the wide world of Tyler Childers. Just about everybody who has done their homework knows and loves this one and I’ve seen A LOT of fans begging for it. Give the people what they want, Tyler.

“Honest Work”

It’s a sleeper, but it’s a good one… it’s dark, it’s gritty, and it’s all too real for folks in Appalachia.

“Redneck Romeo”

This one is classic Tyler Childers… vivid storytelling, country to the bone, and an Appalachian perspective on a tale as old as time. Wildcat of a woman leaves her small town for the big city (well, Lexington isn’t the big), and our small town hero is left dreaming about another taste of her lovin’.

“22nd Winter”

In this catchy tune, Childers once described it as a song about the first time he was snowed in with his in-laws, but added that it’s “not a blues song, it’s a love song.”

“The Wonder & The Why”

A classic country heartbreaker, it finds our narrator trying to pick up the pieces after she up and left him, and while he’s not too busted up about it, he can’t figure out why she left him… and that bothers him more than anything.

“Harlan Road”

A fan favorite since Tyler first debuted it on Red Barn Radio in 2013

If Childers is doing a record with many songs from the archives, the good thing is that there is no shortage of material to pick from. But in the same breath, I think if Childers does not lean into releasing songs from the archives, he will also face criticism around that. If there’s one critique that Tyler Childers has received over the past couple of years, it’s the lack of new material and the somewhat “thin” nature of his new albums. With 13 tracks, we’re getting more than we’ve had since his 2011 album Bottles & Bibles, so perhaps we’ll get a good mix of new and old.

Only time will tell what’s in store for this album. Thank goodness, July 25th is coming up quickly.

In the meantime, check out the new “Nose On The Grindstone” video below:

TYLER CHILDERS TOUR DATES

July 18—Redmond, OR—Fairwell Festival
July 20—Whitefish, MT—Under the Big Sky Festival
July 24—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center*
July 26—East Troy, WI—Alpine Valley Music Theatre‡

September 19-20—Ashland, KY—Healing Appalachia
September 22—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena
September 24—Camden, NJ—Freedom Mortgage Pavilion†
September 25—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center†
September 27—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live†
September 29—Forest Hills, NY—Forest Hills Stadium*
September 30—Forest Hills, NY—Forest Hills Stadium*

October 3—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center+
October 5—Memphis, TN—Mempho Music Festival
October 7—Cuyahoga Falls, OH—Blossom Music Center+
October 10—Nashville, TN—GEODIS Park^
October 11—Nashville, TN—GEODIS Park^

November 15—London, U.K.—O2 Arena~

*with special guest Medium Build
‡with special guests The Hold Steady and Medium Build
†with special guests Medium Build and SOMA
+with special guest Hayes Carll
^with special guests Charley Crockett and Cory Branan
~with special guests The Magic Numbers and Omni of HalosThe post 10 Unreleased Songs That Could Be Featured On Tyler Childers’ Upcoming Album ‘Snipe Hunter’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.