Good luck finding an artist with a more expansive and stellar collection of unreleased music than Tyler Childers.
The country music star hailing from the hills of Eastern Kentucky takes pride in helping to keep the bluegrass and Appalachian sound alive. Take a listen to any of his projects – and especially his legendary albums like Country Squire and Purgatory – and that’s clear as day. He’s a gifted artist, and a prolific songwriter.
Interestingly enough, some of Childers’ most beloved songs are those that don’t belong to any of his studio albums. One could argue that’s kind of the singer’s specialty… making some of the best country songs known to man (and woman) and then never officially releasing them. Fans of Tyler Childers are always waiting for new music from the Kentucky native, and I think that’s why his unreleased music collection has a life of its own online.
The one gripe that some of his fans have is that he doesn’t release enough music. So naturally, they go looking and exploring through the corners of the internet, and latch on to songs that only exist as grainy videos and amateur audio recordings. That’s why songs like “Nose on the Grindstone” and “Oneida” got so big… they ended up blossoming on their own, without a studio recording to back it.
That is until Childers released his 2025 album Snipe Hunter, which finally gave three unreleased songs a home. “Snipe Hunt,” “Nose on the Grindstone,” and “Oneida” were all included in the project, giving fans what they’ve clamored for for years. But there’s still plenty of unreleased gems by Tyler Childers out there on the internet… which made me wonder, “Which songs of Childers’ that don’t have a home on an album deserve to have studio versions in the near future?”
I put together this list of six songs that I think need to find their way on an album sooner rather than later, and before you die-hard Tyler Childers fans get upset at me, I’m only saying that because three previously unreleased tracks were included on Snipe Hunter. Let’s get to it, shall we?
Honorable Mention: “Jersey Giant”
This one is the fan favorite to trump all other fan favorites from Childers. He’s been performing this love song a lot more as of late, which has some people thinking it could be included in the next album the country star puts together. However, it’s pretty unlikely given the fact that the song has been recorded by Elle King, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Sam Barber and Evan Honer. I hate to burst your bubble folks, but I don’t think Tyler is of the belief that we need another.
“Her & The Banks”
This one also finds itself in Childers’ setlist from time to time, and discusses the comfort of home, and how fulfilling it can be to in love. The catchy guitar riff sounds great in live performances… I’d love to see it explored in the studio. Fans thought it would make Snipe Hunter when those aforementioned old favorites were teased as part of the tracklist, but as of right now, it remains an unreleased fan favorite.
“Redneck Romeo”
Childers penned this one sometime in his early career when he was driving from his hometown of Lawrence County, Kentucky to the “big city” of Lexington to play shows. And fans online speculate that the woman this song is written about is the same fling that his other unreleased song “Jersey Giant” focuses on.
“The Wonder & The Why”
Childers turned the “classic country heartbreaker” all the way up on this one. The storytelling is excellent in this one, and the country star spares no detail of singing of a relationship that ended abruptly… and the narrator can’t exactly put a finger on why.
“Harlan Road”
Childers played this one for the very first time on Red Barn Radio in 2013. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much the only place it’s ever popped up. The original video is close to reaching 10 million views, which goes to show that people love to listen – and revisit – this unreleased song.
“Honest Work”
The only solid performance I can find is this YouTube video from way back in 2016. It tells the story of a couple that is doing anything and everything to get by. Befriending old folks with the ultimate goal of stealing their medicine and selling it, stealing copper wire from people around town and selling it to the scrapyard, the lucrative family business of cooking meth… the song may be a dark comedy, but it paints the grim reality of people that are struggling to get by in the poor communities of Appalachia.
