LISTEN: Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire, “Kangaroo”

Artist: Chris Castino & Chicken Wire Empire
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Song: “Kangaroo”
Album: Fresh Pickles
Release Date: February 4, 2022

In Their Words: “My love for bluegrass began (in earnest) in 1993. As a guitarist in a jam band then, the mid ’90s were full of wonderful crossovers: Leftover Salmon was emerging, The Pizza Tapes were floating around, my favorite Tony Rice record …Sings Gordon Lightfoot came out, heck, even Phish was playing bluegrass. A lot of that music was lively, fun, and irreverent. And that’s what ‘Kangaroo’ (written in 1995) is as well. The tune is bouncy — fitting, I suppose. And little kids love it, which makes me happy!” — Chris Castino

chris castino · Kangaroo

Photo Credit: David Jackson

LISTEN: Chris Castino, “Duluth”

Artist: Chris Castino
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Song: “Duluth”
Album: Brazil
Release Date: March 13, 2020

In Their Words: “When you come out of a fog of drugs or bad love or any addiction, everything seems raw for a while. I guess the truth is raw sometimes. This song is that time where you beg God not to feel this way again, but this time something feels different. Like a new morning; blurry yet full of hope.” — Chris Castino


Photo credit: Storied Life Pictures