Billy Strings, the Grammy Award-winning singer and virtuoso guitarist, has a new album, “So Much for Goodbyes,” due out Aug. 28. He discussed the genesis of that album, among many other things, in a conversation with David Marchese. Strings, whose real name is William Apostol, has broken ground by using the elements of traditional bluegrass to become an arena-filling phenomenon. Along the way he has also acquired a Deadhead-like legion of fans who follow his tours. He grew up surrounded by poverty and drug addiction in small-town Michigan, and his mother died from a drug overdose last year at 64 years old. That loss inspired much of the music on his new album. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/08/magazine/billy-strings-interview.html [00:00] Billy Strings and his career [03:00] His new album, "So Much for Goodbyes," and his mom’s death [13:28] The good and bad parts of his childhood [16:07] Partying with parents and trying drugs [18:33] Why he didn't develop a drug problem [22:37] Finding a career in music [27:07] Marketing his music and interacting with audiences [29:32] Pre-show anxiety [31:34] How fatherhood changed his perspective [36:20] Breaking generational trauma [37:49] Song: “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town” [41:32] Trickiest parts of bluegrass playing [44:37] Learning “Beaumont Rag” [48:27] Why he takes guitar lessons [50:22] Song: “Little White Church” “The Interview” features conversations with the world’s most fascinating people. Each week, co-hosts David Marchese and Lulu Garcia-Navarro talk to compelling, influential figures in culture, politics, business, sports and beyond — illuminating who they are, why they do what they do and how they impact the rest of us. Subscribe to “The Interview”: https://www.youtube.com/@theinterviewpodcast Discover the journalism Times subscribers get daily, free for your first month in The New York Times app. Download here: https://nytimes.onelink.me/Xpht/a6wzplra #theinterview #billystrings