Billy Strings Revisits His 1st Song & Shares Early Voice Memos

Long before “Dust In A Baggie” helped introduce Billy Strings to a wider audience, the guitarist wrote a dark story-song called “Willy’s Boot.” Strings revisited part of that early composition and shared songwriting voice memos during his recent appearance on Chris Garza’s Garza Podcast.

Strings identified “Willy’s Boot,” written when he was approximately 16, as his first complete song with lyrics. He had previously composed music for his teenage metal band, with its vocalist handling the words. This time, Billy wrote the entire story himself: a man loses his relationship, seeks consolation at a bar and disappears before a fisherman discovers his boot in a river.

Prompted by Garza, Billy picked up his acoustic guitar and began working through the song from memory. He sang several verses before losing track of the remaining words. “It’s been years, man,” Strings said. “I wish I could remember the rest of it.” He recalled recording “Willy’s Boot” during sessions for his 2017 album, Turmoil & Tinfoil, but leaving it off the record.

The conversation later turned to “Away From The Mire,” which appeared on Strings’ 2019 album, Home. Billy pulled up a voice memo dated July 5, 2018, offering a glimpse of the song while its lyrics were still taking shape. He explained that an argument with his brother, who had gotten drunk at one of his shows and fought with security, prompted him to write it.

Strings described the song as “some kind of poetic way” to communicate with his brother when they weren’t speaking. He connected its image of a delayed Michigan spring to their difficult upbringing and the hope that better days would eventually arrive. Billy also made clear that his brother is doing much better now.

That approach to writing extended to the title track of Turmoil & Tinfoil. Strings explained that the song expressed the feeling of missing his mother while she was still physically present, as addiction changed the person he knew. “I miss her,” Billy said while describing that sense of loss.

Strings then shared the original voice memo for “Still I Crash,” a song from his latest album, So Much For Goodbyes. He described the recording as a direct expression of grief after his mother’s death. When Billy sent the memo to T Bone Burnett, the producer encouraged him to preserve its intimacy by recording the song with only his voice and guitar.

Released on August 28, So Much For Goodbyes was produced by Strings and Burnett. Billy made the album in tribute to his late mother, Debra Apostol, whose artwork appears on its cover.

Much of the interview explored Strings’ metal roots, including discovering Suicide Silence, Garza’s band, as a teenager and helping organize DIY shows in Michigan. Billy discussed his collaboration with Cryptopsy and his enthusiasm for Knocked Loose, demonstrated how metal influences songs such as “Turmoil & Tinfoil” and “Lucid Daydream” and tried out Garza’s seven-string electric guitar. He also explained the rhythmic roles within a bluegrass ensemble and why carrying traditional songs forward remains central to his work.

The conversation also covered fatherhood, a decade without alcohol and his break from cannabis. “It’s kind of great,” Billy said of experiencing life sober. Strings discussed discovering old family letters and recordings, revisited his encounter with Bob Dylan and described growing comfortable playing arenas while continuing to book smaller theater shows. Asked whether Ionia Freak Fair would become an annual event, he left its future undecided, citing flooding concerns at the grounds.

Watch the full conversation below. The “Willy’s Boot” discussion begins around 54:20, with the performance at 55:46. The “Away From The Mire” voice memo starts around 1:23:02 and the “Still I Crash” recording follows around 1:27:16: