Colby grew up in an “underground house” built by his late father on family land in SW Virginia (Boone’s Mill), half a mile from their nearest neighbors. He spent his younger years teaching himself to play guitar, banjo, and mandolin through YouTube videos, and now has this debut album at age 21 that’s getting a LOT of attention! He’ll be at MerleFest this April, and we’ll get to know him on New Tunes at 2 and in subsequent weeks. To quote Trigger of Saving Country Music, “The inevitable criticism you’ll hear for Colby T. Helms is how he sounds too much like Tyler Childers, which is not an unfair concern for an increasing amount of young performers. Singers and songwriters now come with phrasing and cadences indicative of Tyler Childers or Zach Bryan, because we live in an era when those two guys are young people’s biggest influences. Yet by keeping the music raw and unplugged, Helms flanks Childers in keeping it real. If Colby starts concluding his concerts with a 10-minute version of “Trudy,” then we’ll start to worry.
Tuesday 2/6: Colby T. Helms – Tales of Misfortune
