Billy Strings / “Burn the Other End” from So Much for Goodbyes (Late August, 2026)

One of the best music videos I’ve ever seen. The cinematography is gorgeous and consistently based around symbolism. The camera is a Red Komono. The Hollywood camera for many. The editing is phenomenal matched to the symbolism of the images. Many images shot in a higher frame rates capturing slow motion effects as well as the small images able to be seen in slow motion. Special moments not seen in the speeding up of real life. The above, a hard-hitting song about his life, a year after the death of his mother. In fact, a song dedicated to her. New to Billy Strings, might start with the below post of his Tiny Desk Concert on NPR. This offers a spectrum of his different styles.

Billy Strings (born William Lee Apostol on October 3, 1992) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and bluegrass musician. He’s widely hailed as a revolutionary figure who has pushed bluegrass into new territory.

This song is the latest from Billy Strings from his new album So Much for Goodbyes (2026).The song is a raw and anguished exploration of grief, sacrifice, and the crushing weight of personal loss. It was written as a direct tribute to his mother, Debra Apostol, who passed away in June 2025. He described the album as a way to process that “significant period of grief” and turn his heartbreak into art.

Key themes are Sacrifice & Regret as the lyrics explore the painful cost of his career. He sings, “Traded everything I love for what I have become” and “Always struggling to justify the sacrifice I’ve made.” It reflects on his internal struggle and his feelings of emptiness and stubborn self-reliance, with lines like “Stubborn, I refuse to ask for help / The only expense is just the debt to myself.” The meaning of the title “Burning the other end” symbolizes a desperate, self-destructive act—a way to cope with overwhelming pain or find light in the darkness. Musically, it’s an “ominous, brooding stomper” that channels metal (he’s influenced by Black Sabbath) and punk influences to match its furious, seething emotional core.

* * *

So I do a “deep dive” on discovering Billy last night on late night FM ratio. Some YouTube interview where he shows his genuine and humbleness. As well as demonstrates some riffs and techniques and song ideas that are still hard to believe. Different from the music of John Coltrane I wrote my book Sprit Catcher about. Yet similar in so many ways.

Both, revolutionary musicians always pushing the limits of predefined genres of music or storytelling. They are generally “off the rails” when it comes to following cultural and political direction these days.

Here, more than perhaps anything else, the story of a boy and a step father who became his real father. This is the type of story that offers such a powerful story of bonding with a person in their situation of poverty in trailer camps. His step father became his musical mentor and new father to Billy. The power and connection was always through music.

His mother and step-father both became meth addicts and things got bad and Billy left home.

Anyway, the beginning of an amazing story that just might set the fake industry of music on a new course. It’s stupid to label this new course in any political manner. Rather to say it is based on traditional American folk songs. Call this racist. Or call it glorious. However one sees his music, it’s overall context is a connection to the past royalty of an art form called bluegrass music. Doc Watson. Bill Monroe. These were his teachers and mentors and he learned much from each of them. Unlike so many other artists out there, he continued to listen and grow and evolve into new ideas.

________________________

A few days after the death of Dolly Parton, Billy published the below on his FaceBook page. “Beautiful angel on Earth, beautiful angel in heaven. She graced the world and now she’s gone on to take her spot in the angel band. I only wish I could hear the sound. Thank you Dolly. We will always love you.” Billy Strings

_______________________

For a Good Sampling of Billy Strings and His Band

The Tiny Desk Concert (NPR)

Grand Rapids Concert – 2025

Perhaps one of the greatest concerts ever filmed. (This includes the film Last Dance.) This is amazing. However, sometimes not matched sound wise while other times all is matched up. A brilliant concert film though. highlighting a brilliant artist and his incredible band at one of their performance peaks.