Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Ridgwell.
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up playing street music next to my mom’s flower stand. I played fiddle in other people’s bands for years, then during the pandemic I made my first solo record on a friend’s tape machine, while I was living out of my car. I printed CDs, played anywhere that would have me, and slowly put together a band. I started touring full time as a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist during that album’s release in 2024, and since then I’ve played over 100 shows a year, toured across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and performed at festivals like Kerrville and Folk Alliance.
Last year I was a recipient of Austin’s Live Music Grant, which helped me and my band record two full analogue albums with Aaron Glemboski at Electric Deluxe in Austin. We will release the first of these albums 8pm on June 26th at White Horse.
I’m now working on my next album, which is a collection of songs that I wrote in Galveston. During this last year I signed my first management deal, got my first song in a documentary, and will be leaving on my second international album release tour with my band this July.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve had periods of homelessness, and have always made my music with very little money or stability. I couldn’t afford vinyl, so I printed CDs and played street shows. The hardest part has been turning survival into a less dangerous life, while paying my band fairly. Until this year I was self managed. I was balancing admin, songwriting, booking, show promotion, and leading the band. I saved fans contact info in my phone at shows and paid my bills taking fiddle gigs and recording work.
Online music release has always been a challenge, I grew up without electricity so screens are difficult for me to interact with. They suck the joy out and I find them addictive, chaotic, and distracting. So I try to stay grounded – I spend time in nature and do my creative work without digital tools. I write songs in my notebook or on a typewriter, and record my albums on tape.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make fiddle-driven Americana that lives at the crossroads of folk-punk, honky-tonk, blues, and Appalachian, with songs that often deal with escape and new beginnings. Highways, state lines, graveyards, floods, and droughts. I specialize in songwriting, fiddle, guitar, singing, and bandleading, and I’m known for music that feels honest, raw, and physically present rather than polished into something that sounds perfect.
I write from my own lived experience. I’m self-produced, and I make records that keep their edges rough. I’ve supported myself as an artist in many ways over the years, and I’m proud that I kept running away and re-starting my career until I could make a body of work I was proud of instead of trying to fit a version of success that didn’t feel true to my voice.
What sets me apart is that I care deeply about truth in the musical sound as much as truth in writing. I grew up in a trailer with no electricity or running water, so I’ve always gravitated toward real things, touchable things, and organic sounds; I like strings hitting wood, honky-tonk piano, and recordings that feel alive. I track live in the same room with the band, using vintage ribbon microphones, tape, and gear pushed past its limit so the energy stays immediate.
I’m hands-on with production. On my self-titled record, I played every instrument and wrote every song, and on When I Leave This World and Bound to Flood I worked with 13 musicians in one room on an Ampex MM-1200 two-inch 16-track tape machine, using vintage ribbon mics and analog gear. I like intentional mistakes, tape saturation, vocal bleed, and the way tape can warp when a vocal gets too hot instead of clipping the way digital does.
Honesty is the through line of my work, I want my recordings to be truthful to the space, the players, and the story. I refuse to smooth away the imperfection in any stage of the process of writing, arranging or recording.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Thank you to my family and friends: my mom who makes art with her beautiful gardens, and my dad who showed me how to play guitar. My brother and sister. My friends Azra and Paige and Nayoun who stuck with me through all the short films I never finished. and into this second life. Jared Griffin who was my band-mate for ten years before I formed Cast Iron Shoes. Anything I know about songwriting I learned from him first.
Luke Hogan engineered my first record and let me record on his tape machine, which started all of this. He encouraged me to get my music recorded even though I didn’t think I was ready.
Aaron Glemboski became my recording partner after he mastered my first record, helping me shape the analog sound of When I Leave This World and Bound to Flood and helping preserve the live energy I wanted. Mark Hallman mastered the album for vinyl, and dealt with my last minute track listing changes. Thank you to Peter Elko for producing and Calloway Rich and David Thacker for helping me with my pre production and making demos in my living room.
The musicians on the records made them what they are. Max Sanders, Hunter Burgamy, Grace Daily, Julie Adams, Augie Gmitter, Mikey Best, Gus Miller, Chris Melas, Noah Griffin, Alex Hartley, Bavu Blakes, Josh Baca, and Lauryn Gould’s musical talents define these album’s sound. My co-writers! Eli Blackshear co-wrote “Maureen.” Max Sanders co-wrote “Mojave Sun.” Julie Adams co-wrote “Red Hand,” and “Burning Blues.” Steph Cash co-wrote “Kind Eyes.” These folks are treasured friends and I learned so much writing with them. Also none of my songs would have a bridge without their intervention.
I also want to thank my friends who’s support and advocacy made these albums possible. Claudia Gibson, who connected me with Aaron after I called her crying, when I needed an engineer who knows how to listen with their whole soul. Debora Ewing gave these albums so much detailed care in her interview, talking to me for hours about analogue recording and gear and what makes music feel alive.
Ngan Hoang is not only my first friend in Texas, but has handled so much, helping me jump through digital hurdles to bring my work online as well as using her incredible skills designing all the albums, t shirts, logo, art direction and design. April Little handled photography for When I Leave This World and Bound To Flood, and Noah Griffin has done so much with his videography AND banjo playing.
The City of Austin Office of Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment supported my last two albums, their backing made these albums possible.
Thank you to Matt Giles for stepping into the role of my live band guitar player. Thank you to my live bands outside Texas: Tuna Can Juan on the washboard and Stephan on keys in California, Matt Mackey on EVERYTHING in Nashville, and Izzy and Grace and Hunter who were my bandmates during the New Orleans run this winter.
Thank you to my songwriter and band leader friends; Midnight Rubies, Beth Chrisman, Sydney Conklin, Rose Flower, Steph Cash, Daniel Kemish, Lonesome Heroes, Ghost Town Rambler, Highwater and Co. These incredible artists have hired me, shared gigs, helped me book tours, and played alongside me.
Friends like y’all make the music industry feel like a big family instead of a terrifying ladder.
Huge thank you Emily Perkins for taking a chance on me and making my international UK tour possible. Thank you to Barry and the Springboard team. Thank you to my friend and songwriting mentor J Wagner and all the crows who have written songs with me. Sarah Clanton, Rigby Summer, Xanthe Alexis, Joe Johnson, and the whole CelloTree crew in Nashville. Gari Garrett in Colorado.
I want to specially thank Austin Breckenridge, who spent countless hours consulting and answering my business questions long after our official mentorship through city of Austin had ended. I am so proud to share that he is now officially my manager. I’m thrilled to join his roster of artists. He has a huge heart and does so much for the music scene here in Texas.
This would not have happened without all of you. Thank you.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.castironshoes.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/castironshoes
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/castironshoes
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCreWq1ZhGlICCuH0d1t3A5g
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1AwlTMYIXDWIJecmNC7vsh
