Watch Tyler Childers Perform “Matthew” Back In 2018, One Of The Most Underrated Songs In His Entire Catalog

The other day, we dropped this question to our followers, and I'm here to deliver a few extra words on "Matthew," one of the most underrated tracks from Country Squire... eh, his whole catalog. https://twitter.com/WhiskeyRiff/status/1818412919521980740 Tyler Childers is one of those artists who is just a vast well of hidden gems... we're talking straight heaters, heart-wrenching ballads, and others that will take you to church. There is something for the honky tonk dreamers and those who like to sit on their front porch and listen to poetic storytelling. Truly an artist that connects with many walks of life. We've seen the soul develop in Childers' writing style and sound over the last couple years, which some fans love, and others don't. While the way he has evolved as an artist might not be everyone's cup of tea, for those still heavily dialed in, like me, I often find myself revisiting older albums and songs that might not have gotten the attention they deserved. In my opinion, one of his most underrated cuts is the ninth and final track from Country Squire, "Matthew." However, like many of Childers' other tracks, this song was around long before it made its album appearance. In 2018, after the explosion of "Feathered Indians," Childers was still playing small venues in rural locations and sharing his storytelling with those who were not very familiar with him. One of my favorite videos from this era is from Floydfest 2018, playing "Matthew." The location was simple, with just a microphone and his acoustic guitar, and it was and still is one of my favorite ways to watch Childers. "Matthew" is actually about Childers' brother-in-law, who works at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky, which is a storage facility that houses chemical weapons and other military munitions. But the lyrical material of "Matthew" is top-tier storytelling as Childers details the lives of a father and son and how different they both live. While Matthew, a veteran who works as a nightshift security guard at a warehouse, guarding missiles and other heavy artillery, his father, who is an amputee, works outdoors as a logger, and is a religious man. The two have very different lives on paper, but both men are hard-working, honest, and resilient... the standard of Eastern Kentucky. "Works the nightshift at the depot With a pistol and a light And he guards them rustin' missiles Countin' whitetail to pass the time..." The song's back-and-forth shows your familial bond with your parents, regardless of career paths. The third verse reflects how the two bonded in Matthew's younger years. The song perfectly highlights blue-collar workers in Appalachia and their sacrifices to keep food on their tables and care for the ones they love. "And he'd go out on a weekend
And he'd play like Clarence White
If Clarence had a real job
And picked the guitar when there was time..." This song needs more recognition than it has, and this stripped-back performance always hits. Tyler Childers performing in this type of environment is my favorite era of Tyler Childers. Don't get me wrong; I'm still a BIG fan of what he does today, but intimate shows like this, where he was playing so many unreleased gems, were unmatched. Check it out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUryvBpFoo0 And the studio version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7rDklbIq2Q