On the occasion of his 30th birthday today (Oct. 3), Grammy-winning musician, singer, and songwriter Billy Strings has announced the release of his debut album co-written and co-produced with his father, Terry Barber. Me/And/Dad arrives on Nov. 18 via Rounder Records. The album comprises new renditions of 14 bluegrass and country songs that Strings and his father have been playing together since Strings was a child.
Two of the covers, released below, are the bluegrass classic “Long Journey Home” (with the video directed Roger Pistole and Scott Mele) and George Jones’ “Life To Go.”
After finishing the album, Strings reflected on the experience, saying, “As long as I can remember, I wanted to make a record with my dad. I’ve been burning up and down the highways the last 12 years, and as time slips away, you start thinking, ‘I need to make time.’ It’s been a bucket list thing for me, something I’ve been afraid I wouldn’t find the time to do. And that scared me; not doing this record scared me.”
Renewal, Strings’ previous album, received widespread acclaim and was one of the top 50 most played albums on Americana radio in 2020. In the years following his 2017 debut, the Michigan-born, Nashville-based musician has won multiple awards and accolades, including Best Bluegrass Album at the 63rd Grammy Awards and Artist of the Year at the 2022 Americana Music Awards.
ME/AND/DAD Tracklist
1. Long Journey Home (bluegrass traditional)
2. Life To Go (written by George Jones)
3. Way Downtown (written by Doc Watson)
4. Little Blossom (written by Hank Thompson)
5. Peartree (written by Arthel Lane “Doc” Watson, Gaither Carlton)
6. Stone Walls and Steel Bars (written by Ray Pennington, Roy Eugene Marcum)
7. Little White Church (written by Eugene Wellman)
8. Dig A Little Deeper (In The Well) (written by Jody Emerson, Roger Bowling)
9. Wandering Boy (written by A.P. Carter)
10. John Deere Tractor (written by Lawrence Hammond)
11. Frosty Morn (bluegrass traditional)
12. I Haven’t Seen Mary In Years (written by Damon Black)
13. Little Cabin Home On The Hill (written by Lester Flatt, Bill Monroe)
14. Heard My Mother Weeping (written by Carl Story, Lowell Blanchard)
Billy Strings Tour Dates
October 6—Austin, TX—Stubb’s (SOLD OUT)
October 7-9—Austin, TX—Austin City Limits 2022
October 13—Austin, TX—Stubb’s (SOLD OUT)
October 14—Austin, TX—Austin City Limits 2022
October 15—Oklahoma City, OK—The Criterion (SOLD OUT)
October 29—Asheville, NC—ExporeAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT)
October 30—Asheville, NC— ExporeAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT)
October 31—Asheville, NC— ExporeAsheville.com Arena (SOLD OUT)
November 3—Kalamazoo, MI—Wings Event Center
November 4—Saginaw, MI—Dow Event Center
November 5—Pittsburgh, PA—Petersen Events Center
November 9—Rochester, NY—Blue Cross Arena
November 11—Uniondale, NY—Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
November 12—Philadelphia, PA—The Met (SOLD OUT)
November 13—Philadelphia, PA—The Met (SOLD OUT)
November 16—Richmond, VA—Virginia Credit Union LIVE! (SOLD OUT)
November 18—Washington, DC—The Anthem (SOLD OUT)
November 19—Washington, DC—The Anthem (SOLD OUT)
November 29—Oslo, Norway—Rockefeller Music Hall
November 30—Copenhagen, Denmark—Vega
December 1—Stockholm, Sweden—Slaktkyrkan (SOLD OUT)
December 3—Berlin, Germany—Columbia Theater (SOLD OUT)
December 4—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Melkweg (SOLD OUT)
December 5—Cologne, Germany—Die Kantine
December 7—London, UK—O2 Forum Kentish Town (SOLD OUT)
December 8—Manchester, UK—O2 Ritz Manchester
December 9—Dublin, Ireland—The Academy (SOLD OUT)
December 11—Glasgow, UK—Galvanizers Yard (SOLD OUT)
December 30—New Orleans, LA—Lakefront Arena
December 31—New Orleans, LA—Lakefront Arena (SOLD OUT)
February 2—Broomfield, CO—1STBANK Center (SOLD OUT)
February 3—Broomfield, CO—1STBANK Center (SOLD OUT)
February 4—Broomfield, CO—1STBANK Center (SOLD OUT)
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