Billy Strings Releases Highly-Anticipated Bluegrass Masterclass ‘Highway Prayers’

Billy Strings is the king of bluegrass. I don't think there's much disputing that title at the moment, but if there were any doubts, his brand new record ought to put them all to rest. Titled Highway Prayers , the guitar phenom's sixth studio record features 20 carefully curated tracks that every bluegrass fan needs to here. The album's rollout began with the release of the fastgrass lead single "Leadfoot" on August 2nd, and following the release of his feature on Post Malone's new record a couple weeks later, Strings continued the Highway Prayers singles with spacey introspection on "Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You" and the album's final single, the spaghetti-western inspired "Seven Weeks in County" earlier this month. The album also features a number of songs that, though they hadn't yet been recorded and released officially, had become fan-favorites in his live shows. Songs like "Catch and Release," "My Alice," "Richard Petty," and "Escanaba" have found themselves on Strings' setlist as of late, and have added to the anticipation surrounding the record. And now the whole project is finally here. Both sonically and lyrically Highway Prayers takes the listener on a journey through space and time, holding the audience captive for an hour and fourteen minutes with intricate instrumentation and enthralling storytelling, proving just how talented Strings and his band are at there respective instruments while also reminding everyone that, while it may go underappreciated at times, Billy Strings is as clever of a songwriter as they come. Simultaneously carrying the scene's torch while completely blazing his own trail, Billy Strings has already brought his heavily improvised, jamgrass style of bluegrass to unprecedented heights, playing his music in arenas and stadiums all across the world. On the new album, he continues to hone his one-of-a-kind sound paying homage to the traditional bluegrass sound of yesteryear while taking influence from an amalgam of other genres and creating a cohesive project like we've never been before. Go ahead and give bluegrass superstar Billy Strings' newest record a listen for yourself. If you have the discipline to sit down and listen to the entire record from start to finish, the way it is intended, the Strings has you covered with the official lyric video for Highway Prayers below, providing a visual aide to go along with the listening experience. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtOLVO2AMHc If you don't want to dive all the way in quite yet, here's the tracklist with a few of my favorites for you to get an idea of what we're working with here.

Highway Prayers Tracklist

1. Leaning on a Travelin’ Song

2. In the Clear

3. Escanaba

4. Gild the Lily

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_21Semm5CY

5. Seven Weeks In County

6. Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You

7. Cabin Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZamnXCAK9gM

8. Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM)

9. Malfunction Junction

10. Catch and Release

11. Be Your Man

12. Gone a Long Time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5hPVptPNJg

13. It Ain’t Before

14. My Alice

15. Seney Stretch

16. MORBUD4ME

17. Leadfoot

18. Happy Hollow

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6tx1ulZ37c

19. The Beginning of the End

20. Richard Petty

What an absolute masterpiece. And now there are more opportunities to hear these songs live, though, as Billy Strings accompanied the Highway Prayers release with his Winter tour announcement. If you haven't experienced a Billy Strings show yet, you're missing out on the greatest live show in the business. Full of jam-filled improvisation, incredible covers, and ever-evolving renditions of his own originals, Strings' setlist changes in its entirety each night, and aside from an all-time show experience, you never knwo exactly what you're going to get. Check out the tour dates below: https://www.instagram.com/p/DAawpfyJ-Jt/

Billy Strings Tour Dates

September 27—Buena Vista, CO—Renewal (SOLD OUT) September 28—Buena Vista, CO—Renewal (SOLD OUT) October 4—Clarkston, MI—Pine Knob Music Theatre October 5—Clarkston, MI—Pine Knob Music Theatre October 11—Indianapolis, IN—Gainbridge Fieldhouse October 12—Indianapolis, IN—Gainbridge Fieldhouse October 18—Huntsville, AL—Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT) October 19—Huntsville, AL—Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT) October 31—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena November 1—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena December 6—Memphis, TN—FedEx Forum December 7—Memphis, TN—FedEx Forum December 10—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center December 12—Fort Worth, TX—Dickies Arena December 13—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater (SOLD OUT) December 14—Austin, TX—Moody Center December 29—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront Arena December 30—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront Arena December 31—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront Arena January 24—Denver, CO—Ball Arena January 25—Denver, CO—Ball Arena January 26—Denver, CO—Ball Arena February 6—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 7—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 8—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 14—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 15—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 16—Asheville, NC—ExploreAsheville.com Arena February 21—Atlanta, GA—State Farm Arena February 22—Atlanta, GA—State Farm Arena February 28—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena March 1—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena March 2—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium