Billy Strings (William Apostol, born 1992 in Lansing, Michigan) is the flatpicking phenom who pulled bluegrass into jam-band territory without losing the Doc Watson lineage. Home (2019) won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album; Highway Prayers (2024) is the big Reprise-era statement. Dig into Billy Strings vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
William Apostol was born in Lansing, Michigan on October 3, 1992 and raised in Muir, Michigan. Named Billy after Bill Monroe (the father of bluegrass) and given the nickname Strings as a child for his guitar playing, he became a professional bluegrass musician in his late teens. His albums Turmoil & Tinfoil (2017) and Home (2019) established him as a major figure in contemporary bluegrass, with Home winning the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2020. He continued with Renewal (2021) and Me/And/Dad (2022, with his stepfather Terry Barber), and signed with Reprise Records for Highway Prayers (2024).
Billy Strings' sound is rooted in traditional bluegrass with influences from psychedelic rock, jam band traditions, and progressive bluegrass. His flatpicking guitar work draws on the lineage of Doc Watson and Tony Rice, and his live performances frequently incorporate extended improvisation and electronic effects.
Rounder and Reprise pressings of Billy Strings' catalog have appeared in multiple color variants and limited editions. Highway Prayers has been issued in deluxe and retailer-exclusive editions.
Listeners new to Billy Strings typically start with Home (2019) or Highway Prayers (2024).
