Award-winning bluegrass guitarist and singer Billy Strings will perform 8 p.m. Jan. 24 at the Bluebird Nightclub.
Strings, real name William Apostol, grew up surrounded by music.
His parents had a habit of cranking up the volume and listening to songs throughout the house, Apostol, 26, said. He said his father always played bluegrass music, and it stuck with him.
“I think I will always be most passionate about bluegrass,” Apostol said. “Bluegrass is where my heart and soul resides.”
He was greatly influenced by the music his parents listened to when he was a child. In addition to traditional country tunes, Apostol was also exposed to music from Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead as well as other artists from the late ‘60s by his parents.
Apostol still uses these influences in his music today. Although he stays true to the art from of traditional bluegrass, his new album “Turmoil and Tinfoil” contains both old-school sounds and psychedelic twists. To do this, he mixed different instruments such as the banjo with the harmonium.
“There’s everything from old-timey banjo stuff to space sounds,” Apostol said. “I like to think of it as a bluegrass album from the past and the future.”
The Bluebird performance Thursday will contain selections from this album.
Strings was awarded the Momentum Award for instrumentalist of the year by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2016, and in 2017 Rolling Stone named him one of their Top Ten New Country Artists to Know.
The “Strings” in Apostol’s stage name comes from his skills on the guitar, mandolin and banjo. He plays multiple string instruments, but the guitar is his on-stage instrument of choice. Known for his passion during performances, Apostol used to break at least one string — if not multiple — during almost every live show.
“A few years ago, I used to break them a lot,” Apostol said. “To me that is anxiety inducing.”
To eradicate this problem, he had to switch to a different type of guitar string.
Apostol never thought something he loves so much could be a career. All he knows is nothing has ever moved him the way music does, he said.
“Everybody can be touched by music,” he said. “That is the magic, when music can touch you and make you feel emotions.”
Apostol said he tries not to control or manipulate the music when he writes and instead lets it develop into the song it was meant to be.
“You can’t force it to be a bluegrass song,” he said. “The song is already out there, I am just trying to hear it and put the pieces together.”
Apostol follows this same format during live performances. He believes that listening to the band is just as important as playing.
Paying careful attention to the flow of the music gives the the band, including Apostol, the liberty to go off-script and craft a unique experience and sound for each show. Live shows are this band’s expertise, Apostol said.
“Music is the boss and I am just a mere vessel,” Apostol said.
Doors open at the Bluebird Nightclub at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15.
