About

Short bio

The Rusty Halos are an Aggressive Americana band from Cincinnati, formed as an organic result of beautiful summer jam sessions in 2025. Fronted by Joe Haas, with Tommy Wessendarp on bass and Ryan Wells on his Legendary Hand Drums, the three men play songs about living life as imperfect Midwesterners doing their best, even when their saintliness gets a bit rusty. Their debut EP comes out October 3, 2026 on all platforms.

Long bio

The Rusty Halos are an Aggressive Americana band from Cincinnati. The trio formed as an organic result of beautiful summer jam sessions in 2025. It was love at first strum. The jams led to rehearsal for a show, and the guys played together publicly for the first time at the Old Milford Porchfest in October, 2025.

Joe Haas, known as 7 Hills Poet, fronts the group playing acoustic guitar, singing lead vocals, and currently serves as primary songwriter. Tommy Wessendarp contributes with his tasty bass grooves and gorgeous harmony vocals. Ryan Wells adds his Legendary Hand Drums to the mix, a collection of hand-crafted high end hand drums he's developed in his workshop.

Together, they deliver a unique acoustic sound with more of an edge than traditional folk, yet retaining some of that sweetness (depending on the song and the day). Thus, Aggressive Americana has been born!

Joe writes songs about life and love. Navigating the world in these modern times is not always easy for a man aiming to do his best. With his bandmates, his songs shine through as an expression of aiming toward God, falling short along the way, and getting back up to keep going.

The Rusty Halos hail from the Queen City. The river, hills, Midwestern nights around the fire, and general nature of Ohio life shaped their sound. The lads' debut EP arrives October 3, 2026 on all platforms.

The Rusty Halos are available for clubs, theaters, festivals, support slots, and beautiful listening rooms.