William Tyler Shares New Single ‘Kingdom Of Jones’

On June 3, Merge Records will issue Modern Country, a new record from William Tyler. Today, the guitarist shared another of the album’s singles, entitled “Kingdom Of Jones.”

Tyler brought in Wilco’s drummer Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook who’s worked with Justin Vernon, Hiss Golden Messenger, Blind Boys of Alabama and others and bassist Darin Gray whose resume includes performing with Tweedy and Jim O’Rourke to form the backbone of Modern Country. His fourth LP was the first recorded away from his hometown of Nashville, tracking the new release at Vernon’s April Base Studios in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Here’s how Tyler described the inspiration behind “Kingdom Of Jones”:

“Kingdom of Jones” is dedicated to the memory of the people of Jones County, Mississippi, a small county in the southern portion of the state that seceded from the Confederacy during the Civil War. The county became a haven for Confederate deserters and those opposed to the War. I like the idea of it, a tiny kingdom in the heart of the Deep South that fought actively against “The Cause” and gives a more complex tint to the reality of what the War was about. As someone who is proud to be Southern but struggles constantly with the weight of the history of my homeland, I like thinking about the people of Jones County during the War. They must have realized something that a lot of people still haven’t figured out.

Stream “Kingdom Of Jones” followed by the previously shared single “Gone Clear” below:

Modern Country Tracklist:

1. Highway Anxiety
2. I’m Gonna Live Forever (If It Kills Me)
3. Kingdom of Jones
4. Albion Moonlight
5. Gone Clear
6. Sunken Garden
7. The Great Unwind