Billy Strings
Billy Strings (born William Lee Apostol in Lansing, MI, on 3 October 1992) … Read Full Bio ↴Billy Strings (born William Lee Apostol in Lansing, MI, on 3 October 1992) is an American guitarist and bluegrass musician. He won a Grammy Award in 2021.
A master of the guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Strings is a singer and instrumentalist whose music starts with the sound and speed of bluegrass and folds in elements of rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Strings deals in acoustic music, but his lyrics are rooted in contemporary issues ("Dust in a Baggie" sounds like a classic bluegrass breakdown, but the lyrics deal with crystal meth addiction), and the music reinforces this fusion of past and present, melding modern melodic frameworks with fiddles and banjos. Strings's music was presented in its most traditional form on his 2016 self-titled EP, 2019's Grammy-winning Home added a more rock-oriented production style and extended jams to his formula, and 2021's Renewal featured some of his most personal songwriting and ambitious music to date.
Born in Lansing, Michigan, his family relocated to Morehead, Kentucky, for a spell before later settling in Muir, a small town in Michigan. Billy's father and uncle were both accomplished musicians, and the youngster was surrounded by acoustic music practically from birth. At the age of four, Billy asked his father for a guitar, and he was soon learning to play a second-hand instrument that cost 25 dollars. By the time he was six, he was good enough to join his dad for bluegrass picking parties, and his aunt nicknamed him Billy Strings. By the time he was in middle school, he had picked up an electric guitar and was playing in a heavy metal band. However, it led him into a circle of friends who were abusing drugs, and Strings believed it was leading him into a dark place.
Determined to find a better path, Strings returned to playing bluegrass, and after completing high school, he moved to Traverse City, a city in Northern Michigan with a lively music and art scene. When Strings performed at an open-mike night at a club called the Hayloft, local pickers were impressed with his skills, and he soon found a mentor and picking partner in mandolinist Don Julin, who recorded a duo album with Strings titled Rock of Ages. (Strings also independently released a home-brewed solo album in 2014, Fiddle Tune X.) He also played with a bluegrass combo called M-23 Strings, and earned a reputation as one of the most promising talents in the Mitten State.
In early 2016, Strings left Traverse City for Nashville, where the talented newcomer did not go unnoticed. In September 2017, he released Turmoil & Tinfoil, an effort that found him adding a wider variety of sounds and influences to his music. The album was produced by Glenn Brown, who had previously worked with Greensky Bluegrass and Luke Winslow-King. After landing a deal with roots music specialists Rounder Records, Strings returned in 2019 with his second solo outing, Home. It won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020, Strings had more time to devote to his songwriting, and 2021's Renewal found him exploring darker and more personal themes as well as broadening the instrumental palette of his band.
Biography by Mark Deming
A master of the guitar, banjo, and mandolin, Strings is a singer and instrumentalist whose music starts with the sound and speed of bluegrass and folds in elements of rock, jazz, and psychedelia. Strings deals in acoustic music, but his lyrics are rooted in contemporary issues ("Dust in a Baggie" sounds like a classic bluegrass breakdown, but the lyrics deal with crystal meth addiction), and the music reinforces this fusion of past and present, melding modern melodic frameworks with fiddles and banjos. Strings's music was presented in its most traditional form on his 2016 self-titled EP, 2019's Grammy-winning Home added a more rock-oriented production style and extended jams to his formula, and 2021's Renewal featured some of his most personal songwriting and ambitious music to date.
Born in Lansing, Michigan, his family relocated to Morehead, Kentucky, for a spell before later settling in Muir, a small town in Michigan. Billy's father and uncle were both accomplished musicians, and the youngster was surrounded by acoustic music practically from birth. At the age of four, Billy asked his father for a guitar, and he was soon learning to play a second-hand instrument that cost 25 dollars. By the time he was six, he was good enough to join his dad for bluegrass picking parties, and his aunt nicknamed him Billy Strings. By the time he was in middle school, he had picked up an electric guitar and was playing in a heavy metal band. However, it led him into a circle of friends who were abusing drugs, and Strings believed it was leading him into a dark place.
Determined to find a better path, Strings returned to playing bluegrass, and after completing high school, he moved to Traverse City, a city in Northern Michigan with a lively music and art scene. When Strings performed at an open-mike night at a club called the Hayloft, local pickers were impressed with his skills, and he soon found a mentor and picking partner in mandolinist Don Julin, who recorded a duo album with Strings titled Rock of Ages. (Strings also independently released a home-brewed solo album in 2014, Fiddle Tune X.) He also played with a bluegrass combo called M-23 Strings, and earned a reputation as one of the most promising talents in the Mitten State.
In early 2016, Strings left Traverse City for Nashville, where the talented newcomer did not go unnoticed. In September 2017, he released Turmoil & Tinfoil, an effort that found him adding a wider variety of sounds and influences to his music. The album was produced by Glenn Brown, who had previously worked with Greensky Bluegrass and Luke Winslow-King. After landing a deal with roots music specialists Rounder Records, Strings returned in 2019 with his second solo outing, Home. It won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. Due to the COVID-19 shutdown of 2020, Strings had more time to devote to his songwriting, and 2021's Renewal found him exploring darker and more personal themes as well as broadening the instrumental palette of his band.
Biography by Mark Deming
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Billy Strings Lyrics
All of Tomorrow I don't want anything, but I need you around There's a…
All the Luck in the World You see the choice in front of you Though it's hard…
Away From The Mire Remember the time we were both eye to eye And we…
Cabin Song Take me back to the woods where she left me Let…
California Sober Well, I used to like to ramble with my good…
Dealing Despair Well the folks around here don't get along anymore Everybody…
Dig a Little Deeper Well, dig a little deeper in the well, boys Dig a…
Doin' Things Right I keep doin′ things right It's like I can′t do wrong Well…
Dos Banjos The times have changed, the times have changed Humanity has …
Dust In A Baggie I ain't slept in seven days, haven't ate in three Methamphet…
Enough to Leave Enough to kill ya, enough to put you down Seems like…
Fire Line It's a careless wind that carries me, across the great…
Heartbeat Of America Well I was walking down the street just the other…
Hellbender In the cold early morning in the hills of Kentucky I…
Hide and Seek A twisted game of hide and seek The stench of darkness…
Home Alone for a while with myself. I feel so at…
I Haven't Seen Mary in Years While walkin' one day in the country I saw a gatherin'…
I Heard My Mother Weeping The big courtroom was crowded while the jury heard my…
In The Morning Light So in the morning when I see her in the…
John Deere Tractor Hey mama Here's a letter from your son Well, I guess my…
Know It All Well all I know is everything I've learned And if I'm…
Leaders We're not the leaders anymore All our believers washed ashor…
Life to Go I've got a sad sad story, friend, that I don't…
Little Blossom Oh, dear, I'm so tired and so lonesome I wonder why…
Little Cabin Home on the Hill Tonight I'm alone without you, my dear It seems there's a…
Little White Church There's a little white church in the valley That stands in…
Living Like an Animal Living like an animal Down on all fours I'm down on my…
Long Forgotten Dream Would you listen when the wind decides to whisper English…
Long Journey Home I lost all my money but a two dollar bill Two…
Love And Regret Down by the river The water's cold Used to have a girl…
Love Like Me You could climb the highest mountain You could swim the deep…
Meet Me at the Creek Well I'm standing all alone by the river of my…
Must Be Seven Dirty broken dishes, cigarette burns on the floor She held a…
Nothing's Working Absolutely nothing Nothing for to show She's feeling helples…
On the Line You can't stop us from movin' You can't stop us from…
Peartree Remember when I've showed you that tune, ah, "Peartee" I was…
Red Daisy Daisy, red daisy growin' on a hill Sunshine fallin' on her…
Red Rocking Chair Well, I′ve got no use for the red rocking chair I…
Running I'm running I'm running as fast as I can go I'm…
Salty Sheep Oh, you get one Yeah…
Secrets It's something cold like what I stuck around to fight…
Show Me the Door She ebbs and flows like water And she feels just like…
Slow Train I'm heartbroken and I'm feelin' low-down I'm sick and tired …
So Many Miles I think that's a really lucky thing that we get…
Spinning I remember the first thing I saw. It was a blue…
Stone Walls and Steel Bars Stone walls, steel bars and love on my mind I'm a…
Taking Water Cold Cold ashes on the ground Nothing lost and nothing found…
The Fire on My Tongue There ain't enough corn mash in this whole sorry town To…
These Memories of You Darling don′t you know I love you? Can't you see it…
This Old World Well there's nothing worse than feeling Like you're first in…
Turmoil & Tinfoil Through the turmoil and the tinfoil I could wait my early…
Wandering Boy Where is my wandering boy tonight? The boy of my tenderest…
Watch It Fall Well, it's not so easy now Though it never was back…
Way Downtown Way downtown foolin' around Took me to the jail It's oh me…
While I'm Waiting Here It's been over thirty days I've not received your letter My …