Tyler Childers To Produce First New Album Via Willi Carlisle

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It was being taken under the wing of Sturgill Simpson that helped launch Tyler Childers into uncommon altitudes early in his career. Now Tyler Childers will see what kind of magic he can come up with behind the mixing board as it’s been announced he will be producing the new album from folk powerhouse Willi Carlisle. To be called The Universal Bubba, it will be out on November 6th, with a new single out now.

“I think this one goes to outer space,” says Carlisle. “I think this is the widest range of influences that I’ve ever had. It touches on funk, it touches on Americana, Cajun, oldtime, and experimental music. It feels like getting drunk at the Civil War reenactment, or cruising at the cattle auction, or doing molly at the square dance.”

The abundant, 17-track double album was cut with the Tyler Childers backing band, The Food Stamps, at a makeshift all DIY recording studio constructed in the Bywater District of New Orleans. It was recorded over a two week span. Along with whatever “experimental music” it might contain, Willi Carlisle also assures, “There’s also more fretless 19th-century-style banjo on it than any record I’ve ever made.”



We shouldn’t be entirely surprised that someone of the stature of Tyler Childers would take two weeks away from his family and mules in Kentucky to record an underground record with Willi Carlisle. His songs and the unique vision Carlisle brings to music has made many fans within the artist community. It does feel slightly out of left field that Childers would choose Willi as his first test pigeon for producing beyond his own projects. But it’s also 100% deserved for the boost Willi will receive.

Willi Carlisle goes on to say, “I want to make universal folk music. Songs for all kinds of weirdo. With the idea that there is nobody that doesn’t have folk songs and everyone deserves folk songs. I want to write songs that prove the old weird America didn’t go anywhere, that we are living and dying for it every day. I believe there’s noble work to do in that context. That if we feel despair, we don’t need to because there’s so much good work to do.”

Ahead of the album, Willi Carlisle has released the new song “Mason Jar At The Center Of The World” (listen below). Carlisle wrote the song while touring with Tyler Childers in Australia. The Universal Bubba is now available for pre-order.

TRACK LIST:

01 “Mason Jar At The Center Of The World”
02 “Gas Station”
03 “Use Me Up”
04 “Good Morning, Midnight”
05 “Marlboro Vinyasa”
06 “The Master’s Hammer”
07 “Contact High”
08 “The Universal Bubba”
09 “The Universal Bubba, Part Two
10 “She Only Loves Horses
11 “Ditchdigger’s Song (Dust And The Devil)”
12 “Sadly Enormous”
13 “I Ain’t Crazy”
14 “Red Leather, Yellow Leather”
15 “Old Milwaukee Onestep”
16 “Bigger’n Dallas”
17 “Golden Dragon Buffet”

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