Anyone that's lost a relative, let alone a parent, knows just how hard things can get. But it's really, really important to honor their legacy and impact they've had on your life.
And that's what Billy Strings has aimed for in his newest record, So Much For Goodbyes. This comes after a pretty big stint in country and bluegrass, being a breakout star ever since 2024's Highway Prayers.
The new album, expected to tug on some heart strings as usual, is set to drop on Friday, August 28th.
His album, according to Whiskey Riff, will honor his late mother, who tragically passed away last June from a drug overdose. He explained that there's some pretty heartfelt parts of the album he put in there specifically to honor her.
He explained he was going to use her artwork in the album's cover. "I made this record to honor my mother," he explained. "To notice and embrace this very significant period of grief in my life and make art from it."
"To turn my heartbreak into songs while using my guitar as a coping mechanism as I always have. It's always been there for me to lean on through the hard times, and I figure it always will... until it's my time to say goodbye."
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He Revealed He'd Wanted to Use Artistic Pieces From His Mother
"Before she passed, she and I had planned on trying to use some of her poetry to make songs from, but that just hasn't panned out yet," he continued.
"A lot of her poetry is very stream-of-conscious, and I just couldn't figure out how to put it to a tune. Maybe someday I will."
He also reflected on using her artwork in the album cover. "Another dream we had was having her make art for the next record cover. She was an amazing artist and was constantly working on many different things."
"She would call me all the time and tell me about how she was painting this or gluing this thing to that to make some UFO alien battle with cowboys and fairies. All her pieces had a story. The piece we ended up using for the cover was the one she was working on the night she died."
"I believe her intention was to show it to me when it was finished to see if I would use it for the cover. Although I don't believe she had the chance to complete it, I am so happy we were able to fulfil that dream."
