He will not be a local son of Traverse City, however famed bluegrass star Billy Strings is repping his former dwelling of northern Michigan on his new album, Highway Prayers. The album, which got here out at this time (Friday), namedrops Traverse City on two of its 20 songs.
Strings, born in Lansing in 1992 as William Apostol, was as soon as a fixture of the Traverse City music scene. Though he grew up in the Ionia space, he moved north after graduating from highschool in 2011, finally linking up with native mandolinist (and creator of Mandolin for Dummies), Don Julin. For 4 years, the 2 — together with bassist Kevin Gills — labored collectively to carve out a northern Michigan area of interest for his or her bluegrass sound. Locals may catch Strings each Thursday evening at Little Bohemia, or hear him play repeatedly at different space venues akin to Union Street Station, Left Foot Charley, Inside Out Gallery, and even Horizon Books.
Since shifting to Nashville in 2016, Strings has skilled a meteoric rise. In 2021, he received the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for his LP Home. These days, he excursions amphitheaters throughout the nation as a headliner – together with, in Michigan, Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, the place he’ll play a pair of mostly-sold-out reveals subsequent Friday and Saturday. He has 2.94 million month-to-month listeners on Spotify and is an more and more standard collaborator for main artists, together with the likes of Willie Nelson, Dierks Bentley, Bela Fleck, and Zach Bryan. Just final month, Strings joined pop star Post Malone for a observe on his new nation album F-1 Trillion, which topped the Billboard charts.
Strings has made his approach again to northern Michigan now and again: In 2020, he and his stepfather performed a present on the City Opera House – and sat down with Ticker sister publication Northern Express for an interview.
On his newly-released album Highway Prayers, Strings namedrops his former northern Michigan stomping grounds on two totally different songs. First, on opening observe “Leaning on a Travelin’ Song,” he mentions TC in the context of his vagabond touring musician life-style. “I can’t recall the past ten miles/Standing still feels like I’m flyin’/That old moon is shining bright/Keep her steady, lord keep it right,” he sings. “Traverse City to Santa Fe/Sacramento on down to Tampa Bay/Cruising through the early dawn/Lеaning on a travelin’ song.”
Touring can also be the topic of “Gone a Long Time,” the opposite Highway Prayers observe that features a reference to the Cherry Capital. “Jaybird seen a little worm, wiggling on the ground/Guess there ain't no hiding place, no matter where I'm found/Just came from Traverse City, now I'm Withlacoochee bound/I'll be gone a long timе,” Strings sings in the tune’s third verse.
Highway Prayers is now available for purchase or stream wherever music may be purchased or streamed.
