Billy Strings Debuts New Song 'Seven Weeks In County'
The track is the latest unveiled from Strings’ highly anticipated forthcoming record, Highway Prayers, which will be released next Friday, September 27.
By: Josh Sharpe Sep. 20, 2024
GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings has released his new song, “Seven Weeks In County,” alongside a cinematic, western-themed music video directed by Bryan Schlam (Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love”).
The track is the latest unveiled from Strings’ highly anticipated forthcoming record, Highway Prayers, which will be released next Friday, September 27 on Reprise Records (pre-order here). Produced by Strings and Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Mac Miller, Aimee Mann), the album consists of 20 original songs including the previously released tracks, “Stratosphere Blues / I Believe In You” and “Leadfoot,” the latter of which American Songwriter praises, “Strings is one of, if not the most, imaginative artists currently playing the game…a masterpiece of the 21st-century version of counter-culture.”
Recorded in Los Angeles and Nashville, the album features Strings and his longtime band—Billy Failing (banjo, vocals), Royal Masat (bass, vocals), Jarrod Walker (mandolin, vocals) and Alex Hargraves (fiddle)—as well as additional contributions from Brion (bass, drums, percussion), Matt Chamberlain (drums), Jerry Douglas (dobro), Jason Carter (fiddle), Lindsay Lou (backing vocals), Nathaniel Smith (cello), Taneka Samone (backing vocals), Cory Henry (piano), Peter “Madcat” Ruth (harmonica, jaw harp) and Victor Furtado (clawhammer banjo).
Strings and his band will tour throughout this year including upcoming stops at Clarkston, MI’s Pine Knob Music Theatre (two nights), Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse (two nights), Huntsville AL’s Orion Amphitheater (two nights), Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena (two nights), Memphis’ FedEx Forum (two nights), Tulsa’s BOK Center, Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena, Austin’s Moody Center and New Orleans’ UNO Lakefront Arena (three nights), Additionally, Strings will return with his annual Renewal weekend in Buena Vista, CO on September 27 and 28, which has once again sold out. Ticket details can be found at www.billystrings.com/tour.
Raised in Michigan and now based in Nashville, Strings is known as one of music’s most compelling artists. The new studio album follows the recent release of Strings’ first live album, Billy Strings Live Vol. 1 (stream/purchase HERE), which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart. Showcasing his electrifying concerts, the record features Strings performing some of his most beloved songs—including “Dust in a Baggie,” “Away From The Mire,” and “Turmoil & Tinfoil”—recorded at venues around the world including Paris’ La Cigale, Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, Austin’s Moody Center, Atlanta’s State Farm Arena and more.
Strings’ latest full-length album, Me/And/Dad, which features Strings alongside his dad, Terry Barber, was released in 2022 and earned a nomination for Best Bluegrass Album at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. The product of a longtime dream, Me/And/Dad consists of new versions of fourteen bluegrass and country classics that the two have been playing together since Strings was a young child.
Since his 2017 debut, Strings has been awarded Best Bluegrass Album at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, Artist of the Year at the 2023 and 2022 Americana Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year at the 2023, 2022 and 2021 International Bluegrass Music Awards, Best New Headliner at the 2022 Pollstar Awards and Breakthrough Artist of the Pandemic at the 2021 Pollstar Awards among several other accolades. He has also performed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” PBS’ “Austin City Limits” and “Bluegrass Underground” as well as countless sold-out shows worldwide.
HIGHWAY PRAYERS TRACK LIST
1. Leaning on a Travelin’ Song
2. In the Clear
3. Escanaba
4. Gild the Lily
5. Seven Weeks In County
6. Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You
7. Cabin Song
8. Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM)
9. Malfunction Junction
10. Catch and Release
11. Be Your Man
12. Gone a Long Time
13. It Ain’t Before
14. My Alice
15. Seney Stretch
16. MORBUD4ME
17. Leadfoot
18. Happy Hollow
19. The Beginning of the End
20. Richard Petty
BILLY STRINGS CONFIRMED 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
Photo credit: Alysse Gafjken
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