Billy Strings Is Trying to Make a New Album With His Late Mom’s Poems

Billy Strings revealed that he wants to set his late mother’s poetry to music for a potential new album during an extensive interview about drug use and addiction on the Dopey podcast.

Strings’ mother, Debra, died earlier this year from an accidental overdose. The bluegrass musician has discussed his parents’ drug use and battles with addiction, as well as his own, in interviews over the years. And on Dopey he admitted he didn’t realize his parents were using again when his mom died. 

“After I lost my mom, my whole idea of addiction is different,” Strings said. “I thought I knew what it really was, and I really had no idea… It’s not her fault. She lost a battle, and I fucking miss her so much, and I love her so much.” 

Strings then recited a poem his mom wrote, which he said he read for the first time after her death. When Dopey host David Manheim asked Strings if he would consider setting his mom’s poetry to music, the musician replied, “Oh yeah, that’s kinds of the goal. We talked about it a lot — she was gonna make the next record cover with her art, and we were gonna make songs out of this stuff. We were gonna try to do it.”

In the months since her death, Strings said, he’s gone through his mom’s house and “tried to find as much poetry” as he can. “That’s what I’m doing right now,” he continued, “just reading it and getting inside of her mind, and trying to make songs from this stuff. I want to make a record to honor her.”

Strings released his most recent studio album, Highway Prayers, in 2024, and he’s spent much of the past year playing shows in support of the record. (He also joined Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan for a bunch of shows on their Outlaw Music Festival tour.) Back in September, the International Bluegrass Music Association awarded Strings his fourth Entertainer of the Year prize.