The Billy Strings EP (self-released BS 001, 2016) is a six-track debut recording from the Michigan-born guitarist and vocalist, made shortly before his wider recognition on the national festival circuit. Strings plays guitar and sings lead; Casey Campbell plays mandolin; John Mailander plays fiddle; Billy Failing plays banjo; and Erik Alvar plays electric upright bass. Recorded in April 2016 at Minutia Studios in Nashville, the project documents Strings' early working band in compact form — presenting traditional bluegrass material and original compositions with the raw directness that would become his signature. The EP reached audiences through early festival appearances and streaming platforms, and it established the essential character of Strings' approach — technically unrelenting, emotionally transparent, and deeply anchored in the bluegrass tradition — before his breakthrough releases of the following years.
Tracklist
- 1 Slow Train 4:00
- 2 Thirst Mutilator 2:50
- 3 Dos Banjos 3:06
- 4 Black Mountain Rag Source Recording 2:41
- 5 Red Rocking Chair alt version 2:04
- 6 Dust in a Baggie alt version 2:54