The ‘Rust’ album by D Boone Pittman is a jewel with 13 rare gem songs. D Boone Pittman is a Kentucky songwriter. He has a talent to make Eastern Kentucky seem like a mystic, alluring invitation. His vocals, paired with the songwriting immortalizes his songs. Pittman’s talent hasn’t gone unseen by the World. In the past few years, he has won ‘Song of the Year‘ (2025) and ‘Songwriter of the Year‘ (2024) at the Josie Music Awards.
However, the ‘Rust’ album is different from his past works. The album is more stripped-down and personal. Pittman’s music is a mix of personal stories, fictional stories, and historical tales, and it is the same charm that he brings to his new album. The album is rooted in Appalachian country/folk and is built around themes of time, wear, and what holds up when everything else doesn’t.
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The ‘Rust’ album breakdown
The ‘Rust’ album has 13 songs. Each song represents an impactful emotion. Also, the journey through the album creates a roller coaster of emotions. The opening song of the album, “Sunshine‘ is a country classic, a happy, feel-good song. It has an amazing acoustic-guitar performance and warm lyrics that capture a sense of comfort and easygoing optimism.
The second track of the album, ‘Like I Do‘ is a blend of melodic phrasing with subtle supportive undertones. However, with all the support for his women, he also reassures his love and dedication for her with the lines, ‘there’s no way that you’ll find a man that loves you like I do.’
Now we move on to the review of my favourite song, ‘You Me, and the Dog‘. This song is a moment in itself. It is light, giddy, and makes you feel good no matter which mood you’re in. This song takes an ordinary moment in life and builds it up into a tale of love between a couple and their dog. The instrumental performance of the guitar, piano, and light percussion brings out the true charm of this song.
The songs ‘Greyhound Leaving Town,’ ‘Better Decisions,’ and ‘Homestead‘ have more profound lyrics. These songs truly speak of the life experience of the artist and the genuineness he has. The song ‘Greyhound Leaving Town‘ seems self-reflective. The lyrics, ‘I wonder what I did so wrong’ and ‘I wonder if there’s time you’d be back around’ capture the story of decisions and the final departure of a lover. The song ‘Better Decision‘ inspires you to laugh with rhythms, whereas ‘Homestead‘ starts with a story of a hard-working man who built his house and life with his own two hands.
In the ‘Rust’ album by D Boone Pittman, the song ‘730 days‘ hits the deepest as it covers the journey of a dear friend of Pittman. Different than all the previous songs, this song starts with a strong electric guitar performance. Throughout the song, you witness the journey of struggle, fight, resilience, and loss.
Downfall and rise of hope until ‘Will the Cirlcle Be Unbroken’
The final songs after ‘730 days‘ cover Pittman’s truth. He wanted to make the ‘Rust’ album a journey, a complete circle of life. The songs ‘I can’t Find You,’ ‘Leave it alone,’ ‘Lord I Hope this Day is Good,’ and ‘Grandma Picture Window‘ start slow with emotional violin in some of the songs, and some have cheerful strumming of a banjo. Each of these songs deepens successively and finally ends on ‘Rust‘ and ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken.’ These songs represent hope that is most times unseen but is the most important part of life.
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D Boone Psittman’s heartfelt interview
We had the opportunity to talk to D Boone Pittman about his new album ‘The ‘Rust’ and beyond.
Q1: Hi, D Boone Pittman, congratulations on your new album, Rust! It’s an absolute joy to listen to. What inspired you when you first began creating this album, and what story were you hoping to tell through it?
Rust is just raw life in full view. The good and bad. Lows and Highs. The ups and downs, real-life drama and struggles, particularly from the viewpoint of middle age.
Q2: Rust features 13 wonderful tracks, each with its own unique charm. Is there one song on the album that feels especially close to your heart, and if so, why?
There are so many that are personal to me, I don’t think I could choose just one. But if I have to, “730 Days” is based on the true story of events surrounding a friend who was battling addiction. He had fought the battle successfully for 2 years (730 Days), but it didn’t seem to matter how hard he worked to piece his life back together; he was never able to reconcile with his wife and kids. This eventually broke him, and his one-night relapse (which took his life) is chronicled in this song. This was a hard one to write and record, but I wanted his story to be told.
Q3: Your previous albums, Bluegrass American Dream, Emerge, Resurrection Noise, and Tyrone Blues, have all been beautifully crafted. How does Rust differ from those records, both musically and personally? Were any of the songs or lyrics inspired by your own life experiences?
My songwriting is a mix of personal stories, fictional stories, and historical tales. I don’t really set out to write specific types for a specific project; they come as they come. But I have drawn on common themes for thematic elements before. Like the eastern KY flooding from 2022 was the common theme for Resurrection Noise.
Q4: In the opening track, Sunshine, you sing the line, ‘Take me where they got sunshine.’ It’s such a vivid and evocative lyric. When you wrote that song, did you have a particular place or feeling in mind?
I grew up in the mountains of eastern KY. Of course, we see our share of rain, but even when the sun does shine, it doesn’t shine as long as it does where there are no mountains. “Sunshine” is a cute tale of a clueless husband trying to keep his wife happy. When asked where he could take them for their honeymoon (which apparently never happened), her response was out of his price range. The song is a humorous look at the struggle between pleasing your woman and not going into debt. (Spoiler alert: He ends up in debt
Q5: You, Me, and the Dog is my personal favorite on the album. It captures the beauty of everyday life and turns simple moments into something magical. How did the idea for this song come about, and what inspired you to celebrate such ordinary moments in such a memorable way?
This song captures where I am right now in my own life. Kids are grown and gone, having kids of their own. My wife and I are living our best life with the house to ourselves, and I ain’t gonna lie, it’s pretty good. Oh yeah, we have the dog too. This is also one of my favorites because I really love the chord structure and mechanics of the song. I have experimented in this area on past projects and really love the feel-good vibe it creates for the listener.
Q6: Songs like Greyhound Leaving Town and Better Decisions carry a particularly heartfelt quality. Could you walk us through your songwriting process for these tracks? Are there any specific lyrics from either song that hold special meaning for you?
Almost every song on this album was written from a space of genuine experience and personal moments. With Greyhound, I had had that experience before. Sure, the details might have been different, but the reality of losing your lover for the final time was very real.
I think most of us have. However, “Better Decisions” was an exception, as I felt inspired to write it after watching an episode of Landman. I’ve always enjoyed artists like Ray Stevens, Jerry Reed, and even Brad Paisley, who can bring humor into their songwriting through clever rhymes. Whenever possible, I like to include a track like this on each album.
The ‘Rust’ album final note and Pittman’s future projects
Q7: As Rust progresses, the emotional tone deepens with songs such as ‘I Can’t Find You’, ‘Leave It Alone’, and ‘Lord I Hope This Day Is Good.’ These tracks feel quite different from the lighthearted spirit of ‘You, Me, and the Dog.’ Was this emotional transition intentional, and what was your vision for the album’s journey from beginning to end?
Yeah, I was trying to create a roller coaster of emotion because that’s what life is, but the larger message is the message of hope, hope in something more and unseen. This is why I wanted to close with “Circle”. This album takes you on a journey. New love. Old Love. Lost Love. Grief and death. Middle Age. Mortality. And faith and hope.
Q8: You’ve had an incredible few years, touring England in 2025 and receiving both Songwriter of the Year (2024) and Song of the Year (2025) at the Josie Music Awards. Looking ahead, what’s next for D Boone Pittman?
Man. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time. When I started this back in 2018, I wasn’t sure what the end goal was. To be honest, I still don’t know. But I love writing songs. I love collaborating in the studio. And I still love performing. As long as I have the means and ability to keep doing those things, then I see no signs of slowing down. I have already got songs ready for another album, but I am going to hold off and focus on getting “Rust” my full attention.
To know about D Boone Pittman‘s new albums, follow his music website.
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