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
Turmoil & Tinfoil
Billy Strings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I could wait my early life
I can see you in the darkness
And I'm running through the night
I recall a silver morning
When your face had turned to gray
You were standing right before me
Though you never said you're sorry
I forgave you even then
But I feel inconsequential
In the current state I'm in
But I'll try to keep on living
Through the nauseating gloom
And I'll try to keep on digging
Wretched past I will entomb
Though you never said you're sorry
I forgave you even then
But I feel inconsequential
In the current state I'm in
Through the turmoil and the tinfoil
Just the way it used to be
But I have the strength and I will learn
How to fly on broken wings
Though you never said you're sorry
I forgave you even then
But I feel inconsequential
In the current state I'm in
The lyrics to Billy Strings's song Turmoil & Tinfoil reflect a complex emotional journey through hardship and pain. The opening lines "Through the turmoil and the tinfoil, I could wait my early life" suggest a sense of patience and perseverance despite difficult circumstances. The reference to "tinfoil" suggests a vulnerability or insecurity as the material is easily torn or manipulated. The following lines "I can see you in the darkness, and I'm running through the night" imply a feeling of fear and desperation, perhaps in relation to a lost love or personal trauma.
Later, the lyrics describe a silver morning when the subject's loved one's face turned to gray, suggesting a loss or illness. The singer is haunted by the missed opportunities to connect with this person, even though they never apologized for any harm caused. Despite this, the singer forgives and seeks to move forward, but acknowledges feeling insignificant in their current state.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the turmoil and the tinfoil
Despite confusion and distrust, I can still persevere
I could wait my early life
I was always patient from a young age
I can see you in the darkness
I can still feel your presence even in hard times
And I'm running through the night
I push on, even when I cannot see what lies ahead
I recall a silver morning
I remember a simpler, happier time
When your face had turned to gray
When you lost your spark and zest for life
You were standing right before me
You were always present physically, but not emotionally
But I missed you every day
I longed for your emotional presence constantly
Though you never said you're sorry
You never took accountability for your actions
I forgave you even then
Despite this, I chose to forgive you
But I feel inconsequential
Despite forgiveness, I still feel unimportant
In the current state I'm in
In the current moment and situation of my life
But I'll try to keep on living
Despite the hardship, I will keep going
Through the nauseating gloom
Even in the darkest and most sickening of times
And I'll try to keep on digging
I will keep pushing through, like digging through soil
Wretched past I will entomb
I will leave behind the pain and misery of the past
Just the way it used to be
Things may never be the same, but I can still continue
But I have the strength and I will learn
Despite the struggle, I still believe in my own fortitude and ability to grow
How to fly on broken wings
I will learn how to succeed despite the odds, like flying with damaged wings
Contributed by Bentley Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mystiquesquared
Just found this about 4 days ago. I can't stop listening to it. Mesmerizing, soul wrenching. A new view each hearing. Forgiveness. Absolution.
But full force.
The comparison to some of the all time greats is apt. But he's managed to bring something all of his own to it.
Those other boys know their business well.
Hats off to you all.
Beautiful mix. The bass is perfection.
"But I'll try to keep living
Through the nauseating gloom."
If you only knew how true.
@ADITADDICTS
When raw talent stomps the shit out of your musical tastes.
@billnye2844
Brother you said it best! 👌🏼
@tammiecarpenter1785
So very sorry for the ones that can't see and hear that talent
@fatmangaming2720
Agreed.
@janeksobieralski7334
Sooo true, country and western or bluegrass or what ever this is has always been one of the only genres I'd never listen to but this has me questioning my whole life choices
@jesuslovesu617
Yea mine to got stamped real good
@WavesRay
If Billy gets through the age of 27, we're all in for a treat.
@grahambeam3642
Actually I'm watch this in 2020 and he's 27 now. Oct he's 28
@adamdabdoub
Not too religious but God don't take thing young man too
@danielwood5510
He will by the grace of God, this young man has a calling. And praise the Lord, I got to listen to his abilities by a close friend. If you read this Billy, keep on brother. I wish I had been blessed with that ability, praise God you are a talented young man bro.