Billy Pilgrim
Encyclopedia
Billy Pilgrim was an American
folk rock
duo based in Atlanta
, Georgia
, comprising Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush
. The band's name was taken from the time-traveling anti-hero of Kurt Vonnegut
's novel Slaughterhouse-Five
. The name was adopted in 1994; prior to that the duo simply billed itself as Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush. The band has released two albums on a major record label (Billy Pilgrim, Bloom) and several independently. The songs "Get Me Out Of Here" and "Sweet Louisiana" were released as singles.
) first began performing together in 1990. After about a year, they started recording their songs to tape. The self-release St. Christopher's Crossing was recorded in two days in a studio in Knoxville
, Tennessee
and appeared in 1991 (credited to "Andrew Hyra & Kristian Bush") on cassette. The album was released on CD
in 1992 when Amy Ray
of Indigo Girls
helped them with the release costs. Playing hundreds of shows in the Southeast, their effort was noticed and they proceeded to record their second album Words Like Numbers under the indie label Sister Ruby. After this they signed to Atlantic Records
, naming the group Billy Pilgrim.
In 1993 Billy Pilgrim recorded their debut album Billy Pilgrim at Nickel and Dime Studios, with Don McCollister producing and Hugh Padgham
mixing the record. The eponymous album was a moderate success when released in 1994. With the next album, Bloom, the band launched a fall tour, headlining larger venues than they had in the past. Yet in early 1996, the band was dropped by Atlantic. After releasing several albums thru Internet only, the album In the Time Machine became their last effort to date, released on May 12, 2001. An update on the band's website indicates that Billy Pilgrim are not currently active, but no official disbanding has been announced.
group Sugarland in 2002 with Jennifer Nettles
and Kristen Hall
(who left in 2006, reducing Sugarland to a duo). Hyra released a solo album, Lost Songs, in 2006 and another, Curios, in 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
duo based in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, comprising Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush
Kristian Bush
Kristian Merrill Bush is an American folk rock and country musician. From 1990 to 2001, Kristian was a member of the folk rock duo Billy Pilgrim along with Andrew Hyra...
. The band's name was taken from the time-traveling anti-hero of Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
's novel Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
. The name was adopted in 1994; prior to that the duo simply billed itself as Andrew Hyra and Kristian Bush. The band has released two albums on a major record label (Billy Pilgrim, Bloom) and several independently. The songs "Get Me Out Of Here" and "Sweet Louisiana" were released as singles.
History
Kristian Bush and Andrew Hyra (a brother of actress Meg RyanMeg Ryan
Margaret Mary Emily Anne Hyra , professionally known as Meg Ryan, is an American actress and producer. Raised in Bethel, Connecticut, Ryan began her acting career in 1981 in minor roles, before joining the cast of the CBS soap opera As the World Turns in 1982...
) first began performing together in 1990. After about a year, they started recording their songs to tape. The self-release St. Christopher's Crossing was recorded in two days in a studio in Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and appeared in 1991 (credited to "Andrew Hyra & Kristian Bush") on cassette. The album was released on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1992 when Amy Ray
Amy Ray
Amy Elizabeth Ray is an American singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released four albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemon Records....
of Indigo Girls
Indigo Girls
The Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
helped them with the release costs. Playing hundreds of shows in the Southeast, their effort was noticed and they proceeded to record their second album Words Like Numbers under the indie label Sister Ruby. After this they signed to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, naming the group Billy Pilgrim.
In 1993 Billy Pilgrim recorded their debut album Billy Pilgrim at Nickel and Dime Studios, with Don McCollister producing and Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham
Hugh Padgham is a British record producer. He has won many awards, including four Grammys, with Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year. A 1992 poll in Mix magazine voted him one of the world's Top Ten Most Influential Producers....
mixing the record. The eponymous album was a moderate success when released in 1994. With the next album, Bloom, the band launched a fall tour, headlining larger venues than they had in the past. Yet in early 1996, the band was dropped by Atlantic. After releasing several albums thru Internet only, the album In the Time Machine became their last effort to date, released on May 12, 2001. An update on the band's website indicates that Billy Pilgrim are not currently active, but no official disbanding has been announced.
Other projects
Both Hyra and Bush have released solo albums and worked with other musicians. Bush formed the country musicCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
group Sugarland in 2002 with Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles is an American country music artist. She is known primarily for her role as lead vocalist of the duo Sugarland alongside Kristian Bush. Before Sugarland's inception, she also fronted Atlanta, Georgia-based bands called Soul Miner's Daughter and Jennifer Nettles Band...
and Kristen Hall
Kristen Hall
Kristen Alyson Hall is an American folk rock singer/songwriter. In 2002, she was a founding member of the country music group Sugarland. She left the group in December 2005.-Lawsuit:...
(who left in 2006, reducing Sugarland to a duo). Hyra released a solo album, Lost Songs, in 2006 and another, Curios, in 2011.
Official albums
- Billy Pilgrim (January 1994)
- Bloom (May 1995) - BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Heatseekers #37
Independent releases
- St. Christopher's Crossing as Kristian Bush & Andrew Hyra (1991, cassette; 1992 CD)
- Words Like Numbers as Andrew Hyra & Kristian Bush (1993, 1994 re-issue)
- Live From Wildhack, MT (September 1999)
- recorded live at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GeorgiaDecatur, GeorgiaDecatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
in December 1998
Singles
- "Hurricane Season" (1994 USA)
- "Insomniac" (1994 USA)
- "Get Me Out Of Here" (1994, Germany)
- "Try" (1994 USA Promo only)
- "Sweet Louisiana Sound" (1995)
External links
- Official website
- Billy Pilgrim discography by Stacie Pierce
- Kristian Bush homepage
- Andrew Hyra homepage
- Andrew Hyra at MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....