Lights snap to centre stage, a guitar riff cuts through the air, and a crowd roars as they sing along to words that feel like their own. First in Notre Dame Stadium, then the legendary Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, where artists like Megan Moroney, Luke Combs, and Zach Bryan have commanded thousands of fans. For Billy Bourk, a rising sophomore at Adrian College, these dreams no longer feel distant. With every show he plays across the community, he is proving that he just might be next in line for those famous stages. By day, Bourk studies to become a secondary education teacher and takes the field as a pitcher and first baseman for Adrian College’s NCAA baseball team. However, something shifted last year. He realised the stage he truly wanted was not a pitcher’s mound or a classroom podium, it was one lit up by spotlights and filled with the sound of his own songs.
He has always known that he was meant to stand in front of people; it just took music to show him the way. Growing up in a family with a wide appreciation for music from Nickelback to Billy Joel, and from Eminem to Led Zeppelin, it was not until sixth grade when Bourk first heard Luke Combs, that he discovered his interest in country music. When asked how he would describe his own sound, he explains that it is “Country song writing with a rock sound but a folk background”. In 2022, he was teaching himself guitar through what he jokingly calls ‘YouTube University’, hoping to learn a few chords for the kind of campfire sing-alongs everyone loves. Then he wrote a song, then another, and suddenly people wanted to hire him. “That’s when it hit me that this was legit,” he says. It was not a question of courage, just a matter of starting.
With his biggest support being his family and baseball teammates, Billy Bourk recently released his first EP titled 2156 with five songs called Dusty Dave, Heartbreak Marathon, Whiskey Wishes, Beat You to Goodbye, and The Man on the Other Side. When asked about the project’s title, 2156, Bourk explains that it remains intentionally mysterious as he hopes to ‘Don McLean it,’ leaving listeners guessing which allows the project to resonate with everyone. While there were no major challenges, the EP came with late-night edits and last-minute fixes. 
Bourk credits his producer, Reese, for helping pull everything together. As Bourk referenced, “A music project is never done until you run out of time or money.” In releasing two of the songs ahead of time, Bourk also got his first taste of music marketing. A strategic move, he says, that helped build anticipation for the full EP, another step toward the career he is determined to make his own.
For Billy Bourk, songwriting often begins with a single phrase, not a full story, not a lived moment, just a line that sticks. “The song doesn’t have to be about what was actually happening when I heard the phrase,” he explained. That is how Beat You to Goodbye was born. The track is not drawn from Bourk’s own relationship, but from watching a friend’s relationship. Bourk had the thought that when things started going downhill, it would have been easier for his friend to beat her to goodbye. He says that is when the song came to him. Tracks like Gone and Whiskey Wishes came from playful creative challenges, one inspired by a single word, the other a nod to Ian Munsick and an experiment in lyrical cleverness. Some of the best moments came as surprises. Beat You to Goodbye was a song that came from an inspired 1 AM writing session the night before he entered the studio, so strong that it replaced another planned track. Moments like that song remind him that he is still growing and constantly getting better. Dusty Dave, written in his brother’s garage, is another example of a song that started as a random idea and turned into something real, named after a local band from years ago, Dave Kil and the Good Ol’ Boys. The songs on the project are not connected by a single storyline, though Bourk hopes to one day write a true concept album. Releasing his debut EP was a milestone, but Bourk sees it as just the beginning. It made everything feel real, official even, but his eyes are already on the next goal.
The journey to the EP taught him that he did not need to imitate anyone else. Despite admiring countless artists, he chose to take the process step by step and stay unmistakably himself. “I’m a country artist but I don’t wear cowboy hats because I never have,” explaining that he never wants to be anything he is not. Beyond the music itself, what stands out most about Billy Bourk is how grounded he is in his unique identity. In a genre where image can quickly overshadow identity, Bourk is determined not to lose sight of the person he has always been. He is not interested in playing a character, he wants “the same person you see on stage to be the same person you meet at Walmart.” In a world where so many artists create a persona, Bourk is proud to be exactly who he is with lyrics and music you can relate to as if they were written for the soul.
For an artist so committed to authenticity, there is no better place to prove it than in front of a crowd. Billy Bourk performed with singer/songwriter Lexi Faye from Colorado Friday, November 14, 2025 in Downs Theater here on the campus of Adrian College. His excitement going into the show was undeniable as he explained it would feel like a real concert with lights, an elevated stage, and his whole band. What he looked forward to most was seeing the crowd react, watching people discover his music and maybe even surprise themselves by how much they liked it.
Bourk met fellow artist Lexi Faye through TikTok and he admired not just her sound but her character. He explained that he wants to work with those who are not just good artists, but also good people, and this concert was a chance to do just that. The two shared a duet cover on stage, and Bourk hinted that he would be interested in the chance to write and even record a song together in the future. When asked to choose one word to describe the concert, he chose “Rocking,” and he delivered on that promise. The atmosphere in Downs hall was electric as the setlist moved effortlessly between high-energy, crowd-shaking anthems,
and slower, more emotional moments that showcased the depth of both Bourk’s and Faye’s abilities. Bourk and his band played with a level of chemistry that made it impossible not to get pulled in.
Lexi Faye’s performance set the tone beautifully as she brought a stage presence
that was honest, relatable, and deeply engaging. Drawing inspiration from artists like Gracie Abrams, her music feels just like she described it, “like opening someone’s diary.”
Her personable jokes in between songs only made the audience love her more. Her authenticity matched Bourk’s perfectly, creating a night built on being real, not manufactured. When Bourk finally took the stage,
he proved exactly why so many people are beginning to pay attention. He knows how to fill a room, not just with sound but with connection. By the end it was clear, Billy Bourk is well on his way to becoming the kind of artist who leaves audiences wanting more, every time he steps under the lights. He is not just a name to watch but a name to remember, and if this is what rising from Adrian College looks like, then the world might want to keep an eye on what our Bulldogs do next.
