Country music fans will soon be hearing Tyler Childers’ song “Jersey Giant” on the radio, but not how many expected. While Childers has continued to avoid making his own studio recording of the song, he allowed Elle King to record the song. She released it in November and featured it on her album Come Get Your Wife. Earlier this month, RCA chose it as King’s next single to be sent out to country music radio stations.
“I was so humbled when Tyler asked me to record the song,” King said in a statement, via Saving Country Music. “And then earlier this year he surprised my fans and joined me on stage in Lexington, KY. That was a badass moment for me personally.”
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Although Childers has never recorded “Jersey Giant” in the studio, he has been performing it onstage for years. Evan Honer, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, and other artists have been playing the song as well. Childers’ fans also record covers that have gone viral on TikTok and YouTube. As King noted in her statement, Childers endorsed her version in person during a February concert in Lexington, Kentucky.
“I met Tyler years ago because where he’s from in Kentucky is not very far from where my family’s from in southern Ohio. And I go back to my brother… My brother’s like, ‘Elle, there’s this guy, Tyler Childers. And he’s coming and he is playing the River Rat Festival,’” King recalled during a recent Apple Music interview, notes Whiskey Riff. “And he said, ‘You think you could get me to meet him? I just love him.’ I know that he has millions of fans all around the world, but he’s like a hero where my family comes from.” King agreed to meet Childers and instantly connected with the singer, calling describing him as “so cool.”
King, who rose to fame with her smash hit “Ex’s & Oh’s” in 2015, released the Nashville-recorded Come Get Your Wife in January. The record also includes the hits “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” and “Worth a Shot.” She is set to resume her tour to support the album on June 16 in Raleigh and June 17 in Charlotte as part of the Gavel & Gold tour headlined by Dierks Bentley. She is also performing at Summerfest 2023 in Milwaukee on June 22 and the Boise Music Festival on June 24. In October, she will join The Chicks for several stops on their world tour in Australia.
