The self-titled Billy Strings (BS 001, 2017) is the self-released debut album from William Lee Apostol — the Michigan-born guitarist who would go on to become one of the most celebrated and technically extraordinary figures in 21st-century bluegrass. The album was made with Billy Failing on banjo, Casey Campbell on mandolin, and Erik Alvar on bass — the early working band around a musician whose flatpicking technique, improvisational range, and emotional intensity had already generated a strong following on the touring circuit well before any label relationship. Released on the artist's own BS imprint before his signing with Rounder Records, the record documents a musician at the beginning of what would quickly become an extraordinary ascent — a self-produced debut that captures the raw energy of a player already playing at a level well beyond his years.
Tracklist
- 1 Dust in a Baggie Source Recording 2:54
- 2 Red Rocking Chair alt version