Article Contributed by Sacks and Company
Published on 2026-08-28
3x Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings unveils his highly anticipated new album, So Much for Goodbyes, today via Reprise Records; stream/purchase HERE.
Produced by Strings and T Bone Burnett, the 16-track project finds Strings channeling a deeply personal period into his most musically mature and reflective body of work to date. The record is accompanied by original artwork created by Strings’ late mother, Debra Apostol.
Ahead of the release, Strings spoke with The New York Times for its “The Interview” series, discussing the making of his “beautiful new album,” as well as his evolution into an “arena-filling, chart-topping phenomenon, straddling the worlds of roots music and jam bands.” Read the profile and watch the full conversation.
Early acclaim for So Much for Goodbyes:
“staggering, stirring songs of grief,” ★★★★★—The Guardian
“one of today’s sharpest recording artists”—Billboard
“a folk-gothic tour de force”—VICE
“arena-packing bluegrass virtuoso”—Stereogum
“there is no doubt that So Much for Goodbyes…is set to take its place in the pantheon of must-have bluegrass albums”—Glide
“showcases Strings’ lyrical depth and inventive instrumental vision”—Folk Alley
“the perfect recipe for a compelling album…He has outdone himself”—RIFF Magazine
“I made this record to honor my mother,” Strings shares. “To notice and embrace this very significant period of grief in my life and make art from it. To turn my heartbreak into songs while using my guitar as a coping mechanism as I always have. It’s always been there for me to lean on through the hard times, and I figure it always will…until it’s my time to say goodbye.”
So Much for Goodbyes is available on vinyl in black, wood grain, and sun core variants, with all production completed in the U.S. The records were plated and pressed at Denver’s Paramount Pressing & Plating, founded by veteran engineer Gary Salstrom and multi-Grammy Award winner David Rawlings, and cut for vinyl by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl in Memphis, TN.
An acclaimed live performer, Strings will continue his extensive headline tour through the winter with newly confirmed stops at Asheville’s ExploreAsheville.com Arena (five nights), Duluth’s Gas South Arena (two nights), and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena (two nights) followed by an exclusive performance at the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets for the new dates will be available for general on-sale on Friday, September 11 at 10:00am local time. See below for complete tour itinerary. Additionally, his first annual “Ionia Freak Fair” will take place this weekend featuring performances from Strings, Sierra Hull, Greensky Bluegrass and more.
Adding to another landmark year, Strings recently earned six nominations at the 37th Annual IBMA Awards and returned to PBS’ legendary Austin City Limits, where his performance will air later this fall as part of Season 52.
The new record arrives amid a career-defining run for Strings, whom GQ hails as “the hottest roots-music phenomenon in decades,” while Pitchfork calls him a “bluegrass wunderkind.” Strings earned his third Grammy Award and second consecutive win for Best Bluegrass Album at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards with Highway Prayers, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s all-genre Top Album Sales chart, becoming the first bluegrass album in 22 years to achieve the feat. In addition to his solo work, Strings has collaborated across genres with artists including Kacey Musgraves, Primus, Luke Combs, Cryptopsy, Willie Nelson and Tony Trischka, among others, and recently contributed a cover of “If You’re Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough” for the film Jackass: Best and Last.
Since his 2017 debut, Strings has earned widespread recognition, including three Grammy Awards, two back-to-back Artist of the Year at the Americana Music Awards, four-time Entertainer of the Year at the International Bluegrass Music Awards, Best New Headliner at the 2022 Pollstar Awards and Breakthrough Artist of the Pandemic at the 2021 Pollstar Awards. He has also appeared and performed at NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NPR’s Fresh Air, The Howard Stern Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and Bluegrass Underground, as well as countless sold-out shows worldwide.
SO MUCH FOR GOODBYES TRACK LIST
1. I’m One of Those
2. Burn the Other End
3. Carry Us Home
4. Lay Me Down
5. Lucid Daydream
6. Mill Town Flood
7. Live to Tell
8. Bluewater Breakdown
9. Light the Way
10. I Like Train Songs
11. 10,000 Miles From a Friend
12. Still I Crash
13. I Wish I Wanted To
14. Remember to Cry
15. Wrestling an Angel
16. Debra’s Waltz
BILLY STRINGS CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
August 28 — Ionia, MI — Ionia Freak Fair (SOLD OUT)
August 29 — Ionia, MI — Ionia Freak Fair (SOLD OUT)
September 18 — Denver, CO — Ball Arena (SOLD OUT)
September 19 — Denver, CO — Ball Arena (SOLD OUT)
September 20 — Denver, CO — Paramount Theatre (SOLD OUT)
September 25 — Los Angeles, CA — The Orpheum Theatre (SOLD OUT)
September 26 — Inglewood, CA — Kia Forum
September 28 — San Diego, CA — Pechanga Arena (SOLD OUT)
October 2 — Oakland, CA — Oakland Arena
October 3 — Oakland, CA — Oakland Arena
October 6 — Eugene, OR — Matthew Knight Arena
October 9 — Everett, WA — Angel of the Winds Arena
October 10 — Everett, WA — Angel of the Winds Arena
October 20 — Chattanooga, TN — Tivoli Theatre (SOLD OUT)
October 21 — Chattanooga, TN — Tivoli Theatre (SOLD OUT)
October 23 — Huntsville, AL — The Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 24 — Huntsville, AL — The Orion Amphitheater (SOLD OUT)
October 30 — Baltimore, MD — CFG Bank Arena (SOLD OUT)
October 31 — Baltimore, MD — CFG Bank Arena (SOLD OUT)
December 4 — New Orleans, LA — Saenger Theatre (SOLD OUT)
December 5 — New Orleans, LA — Smoothie King Center
December 9 — Sugar Land, TX — Smart Financial Centre
December 11 — Fort Worth, TX — Dickies Arena
December 12 — Austin, TX — Moody Center
February 4 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 5 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 6 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 8 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 9 — Asheville, NC — ExploreAsheville.com Arena
February 12 — Duluth, GA — Gas South Arena
February 13 — Duluth, GA — Gas South Arena
February 19 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena
February 20 — Nashville, TN — Bridgestone Arena
February 21 — Nashville, TN — Ryman Auditorium*
*Fair AXS ticketing request
