Today we’d like to introduce you to Billy Driscoll.
Hi Billy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in the outer suburbs of Bristol, Uk and for over a decade, I’ve built a name for myself in the South West music scene. But my journey as a songwriter truly began on the other side of the world.
Back in 2012, a backpacking trip to Australia took an unexpected turn—I was broke, jobless, and for some part homeless. It may sound cliche but all I had was a beaten-up guitar and an old notebook. With nowhere to stay, I spent months busking the same three songs just to get by. Eventually, I scraped together enough to afford a hostel, and that’s when gig opportunities started coming my way.
Six months later, I had saved enough for a flight to Melbourne, where I recorded my debut EP, inspired by the ups and downs of traveling. That experience shaped me as a songwriter—music has always been at the heart of what I do, telling real stories through raw, honest lyrics. During this time I was battling myself on what genre I fell under. I decided not to limit myself and decided I wanted to write with a blend of Americana Country and rock with a British twist.
When I returned to the UK in 2013, I threw myself into fully music, learning cover songs, playing every gig I could to keep my doing music full time, and building my name in Bristol’s live scene. Over the years, I’ve released three EPs, hit number one on iTunes with my song Whiskey Fool, and in November 2024, I sold out my EP launch.
After the success of my selling out EP launch, I decided to step things up. I wanted to record a record in Nashville. After deep thought, I set up a crowd funding and I was overwhelmed by the response. I have previously met this producer called Dean Dichoso, who was living in Nashville, through a friend. He mixed my most recent song at the time called Our Fire.
My trip to Nashville was incredible. I connected with so many amazing people and recorded probably my favourite record to date. After a few whiskeys celebrating the four tracks we just recorded, I proposed the idea of having my producer, guitarist and fiddle player to fly out to the UK and record some more songs and played a few shows. We managed to pull that off too!
We played three show. Two in my hometown, Bristol, and one in London. The response we had from my fans was amazing! The four songs we recorded in Bristol was the beginning of making my first album, which will include the songs I recorded in Nashville. I shall be flying back to Nashville in 2027 to finish the album and play a few shows.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No musician has had an easy road. Some of the challenges I have faced were being homeless in a foreign country. I didn’t even have money to phone home. That was scary. Music really helped me through that as I learned to make money busking. This has definitely helped me project my voice and not be afraid of rejection.
The music industry in general has been a struggle to understand. Social media and AI now becoming a centre point of the industry is very hard to find true fans. The long game of posting up reels on these platforms really drains it out of you.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a professional musician, I specialize in music. I just don’t write I play cover songs in bars and also play weddings, corporate and other fiction events and this is what I’m known for.
I’m proud of sticking with music even through the tough times. Even through covid. What sets me apart from others is my drive to get things done. I also treat every show as my last and treat it like a stadium gig. This has bode well for me in the past
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I do read a lot of fiction and listen to a lot of podcasts including one called One Song. It’s a podcast these two La producer/DJs set up and each episode is about the writing and record process of a song they have chosen. All genres are covered. This helps my writing a lot
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.billydriscollentertainment.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billyjdriscoll?igsh=emk1dWV0NjZlMDQ%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EbH6cGkzc/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@billydriscoll3243?si=b5WyA-Brk4PHt8s-
