Guitar hero Billy Strings is back to announce that Highway Prayers, his fourth solo album, will be out everywhere on September 27th. He’s also shared “Leadfoot,” the first offering from Highway Prayers.
Highway Prayers was recorded in Nashville and Los Angeles and features production from Strings and Jon Brion (Fiona Apple, Mac Miller, Aimee Mann). It follows Billy Strings’ collaborative album with his father, ME/AND/DAD. His prior solo album Renewal arrived in 2021, and just this year, he released his first live album titled Billy Strings Live Vol. 1.
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“Leadfoot,” the first single from Highway Prayers, finds Billy Strings railing against a speedy, reckless driver. “I said hey now, hey now, slow that old thing down/ This city ain’t your highway and you’re tearing up my town,” Strings howls. The quick tempo matches the kind of rip-roaring highway debauchery that Strings sings about — meanwhile, Strings is credited on the vocals, banjo, bass, steel guitar, EBow electric guitar and a 1972 Chevrolet Chevelle, which is certainly the revving heard in the background of the mix.
The song also arrives with a music video depicting the rift between said driver “Leadfoot” and the surrounding town. Strings dons old man makeup for the visualizer, while “Leadfoot” is depicted as, well, something out of a nightmare — bulging red eyes, a thick nail sticking out of his forehead, and a truly disgusting set of teeth and gums. Watch the video below.
Billy Strings is currently wrapping up the summer leg of his 2024 tour, but he’s got another leg of shows set to come this fall. His fall tour begins on the day of Highway Prayers’ release on September 27th with a pair of sold-out shows in Buena Vista, Colorado, and continues through the rest of the year.
Billy Strings has also announced a trio of headlining dates on December 29th – 31st in New Orleans. Tickets for the New Years shows go on-sale on Friday, August 16th at 10:00 a.m. CDT via Ticketmaster, but you can sign up for pre-sale now on Strings’ website. Check out Billy Strings’ tour dates below, and get tickets to see him in action here.
Highway Prayers Album Artwork:
Highway Prayers Tracklist:
01. Leaning on a Travelin’ Song
02. In the Clear
03. Escanaba
04. Gild the Lily
05. Seven Weeks In County
06. Stratosphere Blues / I Believe in You
07. Cabin Song
08. Don’t Be Calling Me (at 4AM)
09. Malfunction Junction
10. Catch and Release
11. Be Your Man
12. Gone a Long Time
13. It Ain’t Before
14. My Alice
15. Seney Stretch
16. MORBUD4ME
17. Leadfoot
18. Happy Hollow
19. The Beginning of the End
20. Richard Petty
Billy Strings 2024 Tour Dates:
08/02 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
08/03 – State College, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
08/10 – George, WA @ Outlaw Music Festival
08/17 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley
08/18 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre at U.C. Berkeley
08/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
08/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum
09/27 – Buena Vista, CO @ Renewal 2024
09/28 – Buena Vista, CO @ Renewal 2024
10/04 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
10/05 – Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
10/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/12 – Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/18 – Huntsville, AL @ The Orion Amphitheater
10/19 – Huntsville, AL @ The Orion Amphitheater
10/31 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
11/01 – Baltimore, MD @ CFG Bank Arena
12/06 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
12/07 – Memphis, TN @ FedExForum
12/10 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
12/12 – Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena
12/13 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at The Moody Theater
12/14 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center
12/29 — New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena
12/30 — New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena
12/31 — New Orleans, LA @ UNO Lakefront Arena