Yes. Rust Belt Americana is a thing.

A very real thing. And perhaps there isn’t someone who better embodies this than Chris Castle, a musician from Norwalk, Ohio.

“Chris Castle is, without a doubt, one of the last troubadours. A tall, lanky figure with a permanent, patient sort of brooding, he’s often armed with a full cup of coffee, taking a long drag off a half-smoked cigarette.”

….

“Both Castle and the Womack Family Band have found their footing in a tradition that once seemed long buried. But the roots music began to rise, and the sound that emerged couldn’t be easily christened as folk or country. It was something else. The music was at once true to self and true to place, regionally and ideologically. It was real Rust Belt Americana.”

I did a feature piece on Castle and his latest album, “Last Bird Home.” 

Recorded at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY, this collection of songs had pretty serious heavyweight backing, with players like Garth Hudson (The Band), Tommy Ramone (The Ramones) and The Womack Family Band.

But don’t take my word for it. Read the full story here.