In an excellent new profile Billy Strings published by men’s fashion and culture magazine GQthe bluegrass star opens up about his struggles to stay sane and fulfilled as his popularity continues to explode – a topic writer Grayson Haver Currin Ultimately, it comes down to the simple but important question: “What am I doing here?” During the conversation, he praises various people whose approaches have inspired him or helped him along the way, including: Trey Anastasio And John Mayer.

While Billy Strings recounted a night on his 2023 European tour where the rigors of the road and lack of sleep almost caused him to break his sobriety, he explained how he reached out to Trey Anastasio for advice:

Instead, he picked up the phone: “I called Daddy,” Strings says with a mischievous grin. He’s talking about Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, whose band broke up in 2004 amid a cloud of bad playing and drug addiction. After his arrest for heroin possession in 2006, Anastasio got sober and eventually reunited his band for a brilliant and ongoing new phase; He also became a passionate advocate for recovery and mutual support.

When Anastasio was in his late 20s, not much younger than Strings himself when he asked for help, Phish opened for Carlos Santana. The guitarist immediately became Anastasio’s mentor, offering advice on how to stay sane on the road when the crowds and expectations skyrocket. He told him to go home often and not to be away for too many weeks in a row. The strings sounded defeated, so Anastasio passed on some of what he had received.

“With the time change and the buses, you can get pretty deep into Europe,” Anastasio tells me. “It didn’t surprise me when he called because I was watching from a distance: ‘Well, that’s what I’ve been waiting for!’ My phone is always on for Billy because I want him to play until he’s 100. He could do it, and most people can’t.”

Billy talks about Trey again as he discusses the misunderstandings that led to his recent two-day sit-in with Trey Phish in Grand Rapids, MI:

In early August, Strings had a rare week off. … He wanted to be in West Michigan rather than back home in Nashville so he could be closer to Ally’s family while she waited for their son to be born. Bassinets had to be built and cradles had to be built. He recalled that Phish came to Van Andel Arena, a relatively small venue in Grand Rapids, for the first time since 1998 for two nights. He texted Anastasio: “Do you think you could offer me some guest spots?”

Anastasio misinterpreted String’s request for the guest list as a request to be seated. “Let’s do it!” Anastasio replied immediately and then: “I’m talking to the guys right now!” Excited!” When I told Anastasio about his mistake a month later, he laughed for a long time. “He didn’t think he would do it play with us?” says Anastasio and calls up his text thread with “Billy Strings Real”. “I thought he meant coming over for a guest appearance.”

On the morning of that first show, Anastasio sent a list of 16 possible songs for the next two nights, so Strings worked persistently to learn them all until he took the stage. When he started playing, his left hand was already hurting from so many solo rehearsals. He knew he was joining one of the tightest jam bands in history, with 40 years of experience; With that old self-doubt creeping in, he didn’t want to screw it up.

“I didn’t want to upset Phish fans, you know? I didn’t want to go out there and play a big wrong chord, which I probably did several times,” he says with a laugh. “But at least I practiced.”

As Billy Strings speaks of his desire to scale back his elaborate, arena-oriented live shows and return to more intimate performances, he points to John Mayer and his recent solo acoustic tours in which he played solo to arena audiences. This leads to a discussion about Strings’ friendship with Mayer and how they bonded over their love of watches:

Strings is back at Pyramid Scheme (Grand Rapids, MI) today for an early afternoon photo shoot. When one of the owners, Tami VandenBerg, asks for a selfie, he puts his arm around her, grins and poses. When it is finished, he asks for his own favor. “Do you ever set up chairs and do something quieter? “We should do that,” he asks, pointing at me. “I just told him I have a hard time playing arenas and stuff with a bluegrass band without a drummer. I’m trying to make these people rock with a banjo and a guitar. I could sit on a stool and just play.”

This interest in downsizing, which Strings mentions frequently, comes in part from a new buddy, John Mayer. In 2023, Mayer went on a solo tour of very large spaces. Demand for tickets was so great that he added a second leg. Mayer’s winning margins have amazed Strings, although he suspects he’s not in that league yet. “Damn,” he says with a laugh, “he was packing arenas and playing alone. I was like, ‘Dude, I should do a solo tour.'” I could buy another watch.'”

…Now he assembles watches himself at home and is designing a piece with Joshua Shapiro, the Los Angeles watchmaker who recently introduced the first watch made in the United States since 1969. Its features will resemble a vintage Martin D-28 and the sound holes of a violin. He removes from his wallet a dial he made about a week ago using Shapiro’s antique machines, hidden there like a valuable ticket imprint or a guitar pick. “It’s like guitars. I like collecting them,” he says with the enthusiasm of a child explaining his favorite toys. “It’s a tool and it’s beauty.”

Other topics discussed include his desire to perform in small, intimate spaces, his struggles with self-confidence and past traumas, his recent appearance at a star-studded comedy show in LA, and the documentary Judd Apatow starts talking about him, his recent gig with a metal band from Michigan Robots made of flesh and bloodHow Bill Kreutzmanis the invitation to write a song with unearth Robert Hunter The lyrics saved him from a spiral of self-doubt, his impending fatherhood, his recent return to guitar lessons, the recording process for his new album, Highway Prayersand much more.

Read the full text GQ Profile of Billy Strings here: Billy Strings, the 21st century bluegrass rock star, tries hard to be good.

Notably, the Billy Strings feature is by the same author who recently joined Phish Mondegreen for an earlier one GQ Piece. You can read this feature here.