Tyler Childers – Oneida
By: James Jackson
Tyler Childers has a way of making songs feel like old friends, well-worn, familiar, and comforting, even before they’re officially released. That’s definitely true of “Oneida,” the newest single from his upcoming album Snipe Hunter. Fans have known this one for a while now. Now, we finally have a studio cut, and it’s everything I hoped it would be.
At its heart, “Oneida” is a love story, or maybe more accurately, a coming-of-age story wrapped in a romance. It follows a younger man as he falls for an older woman, and Childers handles the subject with his signature mix of tenderness and grit. The standout lyric, “I lay here awake and I laugh at her jokes / She is referencing movies I’m too young to know,” captures the heart of the song in just two lines. It’s funny, a little sad, and quietly profound, exactly the kind of emotional cocktail Childers delivers best.
There’s always a little anxiety that comes with hearing a long-beloved live song finally get the studio treatment, especially with someone like Rick Rubin in the producer’s chair. Would it be overproduced? Would the rawness get polished out? Thankfully, that’s not the case. Childers and Rubin manage to honor the song’s roots while giving it room to grow. For most of its runtime, “Oneida” maintains the stripped-back, intimate vibe fans fell in love with years ago. It still feels close, gentle, and unpretentious, like it’s being played just for you.
But just when you think it’ll stay quiet and steady all the way through, the song lifts. A subtle swell begins to build, and before you know it, you’re wrapped in warm strings and soft horns. It’s not flashy. It’s emotional. The arrangement rises in a way that mirrors the story itself: the feeling of falling, the rush of connection, and the kind of joy that sneaks up on you. It doesn’t overwhelm the song’s simple beauty; it elevates it.
Childers’ voice is as strong as ever here, clear, aching, and unmistakably him. His delivery is vulnerable and knowing, like someone recounting a memory that still stings in all the right ways. Just like in “Nose on the Grindstone,” he sounds completely rooted in the world he’s singing about.
As someone who’s loved “Oneida” for years in its bare-bones form, I can honestly say I love it even more now. It hasn’t lost any of its soul in the transition to a full studio version. If anything, it’s gained depth. This is a song that lingers. It stays with you after it ends, playing back in your mind like a memory you’re not quite ready to let go of.
“Oneida” is a beautiful reminder of what Childers does best: storytelling that’s real, emotional, and grounded in the kind of truth that sneaks up on you. If this single and “Nose on the Grindstone” are any indication, Snipe Hunter is shaping up to be one of his most compelling records yet. The album drops July 25 from RCA Records, and I can’t wait to hear what else he has in store.
