Billy Strings Surprises Fans With Stellar ‘Apple Music Nashville Sessions’ EP, Featuring Songs From His Last Record, ‘Highway Prayers’

A new session coming in hot from the bluegrass picking machine, Billy Strings.

Billy Strings is treating fans with a special gift this week by releasing a collection of five songs for the Apple Music Nashville Sessions EP. The EP does not feature any new songs from the Michigan native; however, it does highlight some of the music from his last studio project, Highway Prayers, which was released everywhere last fall.

The EP features four songs and brings in some highly respected bluegrass players to aid Strings in the performances. The tracklist includes “Be Your Man” (feat. Cory Henry), “Gild the Lily,” “Leaning on a Traveling Song” (feat. Jason Carter), and “Malfunction Junction” (feat. Sam Bush).

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In addition, he released a video performance of “Gild The Lily,” showcasing the incredible ability of the musicians in the room as they play in the round, feeding off each other and creating magic. The session continues to celebrate the critically acclaimed work of Highway Prayers, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales Chart—making it the first time in 22 years that a bluegrass album has been the top-selling album across genres.

Strings continues to impress bluegrass fans with his jamgrass style of music, pleasing avid showgoers by recording fan favorites from his live shows. Songs like “Catch and Release,” “My Alice,” “Richard Petty,” and “Escanaba” have found themselves on Strings’ setlist before the record’s release, capturing the hearts of fans and adding to the record’s excitement that is still holding the attention of bluegrass listeners almost a year after its release.

Revisiting some of these beloved tunes in the Apple Music Nashville Sessions keeps the tunes fresh, showing fans that Billy Strings lays down live cuts of his music that sound just as good, if not better, than the studio-produced tracks. Billy Strings is a superstar for a reason, and if you haven’t tapped into his sound yet, this is a great place to start.

You can listen to the entire session exclusively on Apple Music, but the video performance is available to all on YouTube.

Check it out:

As you can see, Billy Strings is one hell of a live performer, and this does not even begin to tap into the riffs he lays down on stage. Strings has a long list of tour dates this fall, but with many of them sold out, you need to act fast if you want to see the “Leadfoot” singer live.

BILLY STRINGS TOUR DATES

August 12—Fargo, ND—SCHEELS Arena
August 15—Bozeman, MT—Brick Breeden Fieldhouse (SOLD OUT)
August 16—Missoula, MT—Adams Center
August 19—Vancouver, BC—Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
August 20—Vancouver, BC—Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
August 22—Everett, WA—Angels of the Winds Arena (SOLD OUT)
August 23—Eugene, OR—Matthew Knight Arena (SOLD OUT)
September 5—Owensboro, KY—Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum – Woodward Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
September 6—Owensboro, KY—Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum – Woodward Theatre* (SOLD OUT)
September 11—Boone, NC—Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts* (SOLD OUT)
September 12—Boone, NC—Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts* (SOLD OUT)
September 14—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium* (SOLD OUT)
September 15—Nashville, TN—Ryman Auditorium* (SOLD OUT)
September 16—Chattanooga, TN—The Signal* (SOLD OUT)
September 17—Chattanooga, TN—The Signal (SOLD OUT)
September 20—Minneapolis, MN—Huntington Bank Stadium – Farm Aid 40
October 3—Oslo, NO—Sentrum Scene (SOLD OUT)
October 5—Copenhagen, DK—Poolen
October 7—Utrecht, NL—TivoliVredenburg (SOLD OUT)
October 8—Utrecht, NL—TivoliVredenburg (SOLD OUT)
October 10—London, U.K.—Royal Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
October 12—Dublin, IE—National Stadium (SOLD OUT)
October 23—Huntsville, AL—Orion Amphitheater
October 24—Huntsville, AL—Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 25—Huntsville, AL—Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 31—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena
November 1—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena
November 7—Pittsburgh, PA—PPG Paints Arena
November 8—Pittsburgh, PA—PPG Paints Arena
November 11—Rochester, NY—Blue Cross Arena
November 12—Albany, NY—MVP Arena
November 14—Newark, NJ—Prudential Center
November 15—Newark, NJ—Prudential Center
December 5—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center
December 6—Louisville, KY—KFC Yum! Center
December 10—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center
December 12—Fort Worth, TX—Dickies Arena
December 13—Austin, TX—Moody Center
December 14—Austin, TX—ACL Live at the Moody Theater (SOLD OUT)

*Billy Strings & Bryan Sutton with Royal MasatThe post Billy Strings Surprises Fans With Stellar ‘Apple Music Nashville Sessions’ EP, Featuring Songs From His Last Record, ‘Highway Prayers’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.