Growing up in Franklin County, Virginia, in a home built by his dad, Colby T. Helms taught himself guitar, banjo and mandolin around age 12, shortly after losing his dad to cancer. His songs reflect the tough challenges he’s already faced in his young life, through the lens of his Blue Ridge Mountain upbringing. “I want to show what it’s like to grow up in a rural, impoverished area,” he says. “A lot of these old little towns in Virginia and North Carolina used to be thriving, and now they’re nothing. There are a lot of people on welfare who can’t hardly do anything besides struggle to survive. There’s addiction. There’s pain. Sonically, I’m drawing from all of the classic Appalachian musicians. I believe a lot of the old music is too good to be lost. I’m trying to be a time capsule and hold this true feeling and carry it with me. In my music, I’m telling a story about people who came from nothing—like my dad and me—and made something out of it.” His debut last year was the impressive Tales of Misfortune (written while a high school senior), and he’s releasing singles this year to culminate in a 2025 album. He’s in our area for a Grey Eagle Asheville show Tuesday the 25th, and then The Radio Room in Greenville on Friday March 7th.
Live in Studio B, Tuesday at 1pm: Colby T. Helms
