TREY HENSLEY
PHOTO CREDIT: CORA WAGONER
to talk about his journey, his influences, and what’ s next.
Trey, let’ s start with what sets you apart. Most bluegrass players tend to stay in their lane, but you cross musical lines pretty liberally, if not promiscuously. You’ re drawing from rock, blues, jazz, metal, all over the map. Where does that come from? I think it’ s just pretty natural for me because I’ ve always listened to everything. When I first started— when I was 10— I grew up with my parents strictly listening to country and bluegrass, and that’ s it. Then I sort of went on my own. I loved guitar so much that I was always seeking out guitar-specific music. Tony Rice was the gateway for me because I heard him play a John Coltrane song. After that, I went to the local record shop looking for a John Coltrane album. I had a good friend who owned a little CD shop in East Tennessee, and he would save stuff back for me, like the Robert Plant and Alison Krauss record when that came out. I’ m sure you know Robert from Led Zeppelin, but I’ d never listened to them. And he would say,“ You’ ve got to have this,” and he gave me a copy. I specifically remember getting my first Muddy Waters album. All this stuff has been so ingrained in my listening, and I think it just naturally comes out in my playing and in the songwriting. My favorite artists— people like Merle Haggard, Tony Rice, or Taj Mahal— they never stuck to their lane, and I drew a lot of influence
48 | SPRING 2026