Tyler Childers and longtime backing band The Foodstamps return with Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven?, a new triple album due out via Hickman Holler Records/RCA Records on September 30. The forthcoming set features the same eight songs, including lead single “Angel Band,” presented in three different formats — Hallelujah, Jubilee and Joyful Noise.
Childers and The Food Stamps — James Barker (pedal steel), Craig Burletic (bass), CJ Cain (guitar), Rodney Elkins (drums), Chase Lewis (keyboards) and Jesse Wells (guitar, fiddle) — co-produced the follow-up to 2020’s Long Violent History. The ensemble recorded a mix of traditional songs and new originals primarily at Barker’s home studio, Dragline Studios.
Tyler Childers and the core band played the eight songs live in a single room over the course of two days for versions featured on Hallelujah, while Jubilee adds strings, horns, backing vocals and instruments from around the world. The band has yet to reveal what is in store for the Joyful Noise collection of Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven? songs.
The Kentucky-raised Tyler Childers shared the following about the upcoming triple album:
“I grew up Baptist and I was scared to death to go to hell. And a lot of that stuck with me. Filtering through that and trying to find the truth, and the beauty, and the things you should think about and expelling all that nonsense has been something I’ve spent a lot of time on. This is a collection that came together through those reflections. In a lot of ways, this is processing life experiences in the different philosophies and religions that have formed me, trying to make a comprehensive sonic example of that.
“Working with the same song three different ways is a nod to my raising, growing up in a church that believes in the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and what that means. The Father being the root, the place from which everything comes from, and The Son coming to free up some of those things, allowing it to be more open and welcoming. And then you have the Holy Ghost once The Son is gone — that feeling that’s supposed to keep us sustained until we are reunited, in whatever way that looks.
“Message wise, I hope that people take that it doesn’t matter race, creed, religion and all of that like — the most important part is to protect your heart, cultivate that and make that something useful for the world.”
Watch the Bryan Schlam-directed video for the Jubilee version of “Angel Band” below:
Stream the Hallelujah version of “Angel Band” here:
Can I Take My Hounds To Heaven Tracklist
HALLELUJAH
- Old Country Church
- Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
- Two Coats
- Purgatory
- Way of the Triune God
- Angel Band
- Jubilee
- Heart You Been Tendin’
JUBILEE
- Old Country Church
- Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
- Two Coats
- Purgatory
- Way of the Triune God
- Angel Band
- Jubilee
- Heart You Been Tendin’
JOYFUL NOISE
- Old Country Church
- Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?
- Two Coats
- Purgatory
- Way of the Triune God
- Angel Band
- Jubilee
- Heart You Been Tendin’
