Billy Strings – "I'm Flying by the Seat of My Pants!"

Billy Strings is the new star of American roots music - with a radical, groundbreaking approach to playing bluegrass

- By Alan Paul

Billy Strings simply one of the most exciting young guitarists in decades. His career has exploded over the last couple of years, as he and his tight-but-loose trio of backing musicians have toured the world, putting on remarkably dynamic shows that blow up anyone's vision of stodgy bluegrass music.

Grounded in the traditional music, Strings, a 29-year-old from western Michigan whose real name is Billy Apostol, starts with bluegrass in his covers and most of his original music, before taking solos on wild flights of fancy, armed with a large pedalboard and no fear of exploring any tone or realm of music, ably supported by his backing trio of Royal Masat (bass), Billy Failing (banjo) and Jarrod Walker (mandolin).

His approach to bluegrass and the stellar interaction of his band are reminiscent of the original Allman Brothers Band - not in sound but in conception. Starting with a deep respect for and commitment to a folk music form, taking it far out in the solos and landing right back on the riff, right back in the traditional form. It's a groundbreaking approach that doesn't sound radical because it comes so easily and naturally to Billy and company. It is not part of an intellectual exercise, but just that rare combination of a totally dedicated free spirit and a highly skilled, disciplined musician - one whose roots in bluegrass music go deep...

You were just four years old when your musician father bought you a guitar because you wanted one so badly. What happened then?