“Americana with a sledge hammer. Strings, wood, and metal with a dusty floor and a bit of grunge. What makes it Folk is the story it tells: hard-luck and road-weary, living out of sheer spite. ”
“"Folk songs for lonely tumbleweeds" is the self-description of Texas "badass" fiddler, singer, and songwriter Nicole Ridgwell. She opened one of her sets with "Don't Let Me Go Back," just her and her fiddle, alternating instrument and vocals. If one were to invent a story about Ridgwell, it would be this song, with its sense of exile from a small town, the shame of returning.”
Bio
Nicole Ridgwell, performing as Cast Iron Shoes, is an Austin-based Americana artist known for fiddle-driven songs that blend folk-punk, honky-tonk, cajun, bluegrass, gospel, and New Orleans swing. She has recorded three fully analog albums and built a reputation for live-tracked, sparse, emotionally direct records that preserve the feel of a band in the room. She nearly sold out her first international tour in 2025, received two Live Music Fund grants and the Central Texas Bluegrass Society scholarship, landed her first song placement in film, and signed a management deal with Austin Breckenridge (The A&R Foundation, Aurelius Management)
Cast Iron Shoes has performed at AmericanaFest, Kerrville Folk Festival, Folk Alliance Montreal, SXSW, and Durango Songwriters Festival, and opened for Emmylou Harris, Brothers Comatose, and Ray Wylie Hubbard.
When I Leave This World drops June 26 (8pm, at White Horse in Austin) and the album release tour will the run through Colorado, California, the UK and Scotland.
live
In 2025 Cast Iron Shoes completed two international tours, performed 100+ shows, and recorded two full albums with $100K+ in economic activity from the band locally in Texas, winning their second $20k Live Music Fund Grant and landing three new sponsorships: Gold Tone, Ortega, and Electrovoice.
