Mark Fredson’s Firm Man captures a musician in transition
Mark Fredson’s newest album, Firm Man is the newest chapter in a musical journey spans greater than 20 years. Hailing from Port Angeles, Washington, Fredson was only a sophomore in highschool – when he signed his first report deal. From then on, there was no stopping him. As a frontman, songwriter, pianist, and producer, his physique of labor is huge, from the outlaw nation of Margo Worth’s “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle),” to the theatrical pop anthems which have outlined his solo profession.
Firm Man explores the strain between chaotic fantastic thing about youth and the mundane realities of rising older, all whereas refusing to let go of a life in service to music, even when it’s typically extra labor than love.
Fredson’s high-octane days because the frontman of the Nashville-by-way-of-Port Angeles band The Lonely H had their fair proportion of musical highlights, nevertheless it wasn’t till he went solo that Fredson’s true musical id was solidified. After releasing his debut solo album, Going to the Films, in 2020, Fredson adopted up with two full-length efforts, 2021’s Nothing However Night time and 2023’s Outskirts. Now, with Firm Man, he dives deeper into the inner conflicts introduced on by the pesky fingers of time and the realities of creating ends meet. Throughout its 10 lean tracks, Fredson reckons with the challenges of creating artwork whereas spending over a decade working within the restaurant trade.
Was it value it? The album continues to pose this cussed query, even when the reply stays elusive.
With Firm Man, Fredson shifts gears sonically, embracing a extra polished and layered sound than ever earlier than. Although the album retains his signature bed room pop sensibilities – dwelling recordings crafted largely alone in his East Nashville studio – it additionally advantages from new manufacturing methods and a deeper pool of collaborators.
Fredson tells Indie Pulse Music, “On this one I actually needed to up the manufacturing degree. I tracked each tune at the next bit price, I purchased a tube pre-amp to run my vocals and keyboards by way of, and invested in a bunch of different gear to assist me degree up.”
The result’s an album that feels contemporary but acquainted, mixing Fredson’s influences – basic rock, indie pop, and comfortable rock – with a contemporary sheen. Aided by a formidable roster of a few of Nashville’s finest, Firm Man introduces a wealthy, layered sound that indicators Fredson’s development as a producer. And he obtained the collaborators.
“It’s additionally my most intensive musician credit score listing of any of my albums by far,” Fredson displays. “Whereas the earlier albums all had primarily one participant on every instrument all through the entire album, on this one I actually dug closely into my rolodex and known as upon a bunch of various gamers I’ve come to know over the course of my time in Nashville. Three totally different bassists, three drummers, three guitarists, my trusty saxophonist, a pair string preparations later, and also you’ve obtained a fairly stacked credit listing.”
For Fredson, transferring again to his childhood dwelling on the Olympic Peninsula performed a big function within the creation of Firm Man. After spending near 14 years in Nashville, he made the choice to go away, citing a pure finish to his time in Music Metropolis.
“Nobody needs to be the final one on the celebration, that’s what I maintain telling myself. You understand, I did my time in Nashville, and I’ll all the time look again on my time there fondly. Most likely extra fondly the longer I’m away. However in the long run, I arrived on the conclusion that it was time to take a bow and go away with my head held excessive, or at the least not with my tail between my legs” he museed.
Now again within the Pacific Northwest, Fredson has discovered new inspiration within the gorgeous pure environment of his hometown. “I can play and make music wherever, and I’d a lot moderately do it surrounded by household and the indeniable pure fantastic thing about the Olympic Peninsula. It’s kinda magical up right here.”
All through the album, Fredson’s exploration of age and id is obvious, significantly in tracks like “Me and Sarah,” which replicate the rising pains of an artist grappling with fading youth.
“It was the primary tune I despatched to drummer Dom Billett…when he despatched me the stems and I plugged them into the monitor, I knew it was gonna be a particular one,” Fredson recollects.
The monitor’s groovy rhythm part, coupled with an emotionally charged instrumental outro, elevates it to considered one of Fredson’s proudest moments. “I’ve additionally by no means performed an instrumental outro like that and I simply suppose it’s a number of the coolest sounding stuff in my discography because of all the good musicians that introduced it to life.”
Whereas the songs on Firm Man had been written earlier than his transfer again to Washington, the sentiment of his impending departure is probably the most distilled within the album’s last monitor, “That’s That.” The tune serves as each an emotional farewell to Nashville and an embrace of a brand new chapter, if not lyrically, at the least sonically.
“The tune sounds hopeful however thematically it’s fairly unhappy. A few of my favourite pop songs have that juxtaposition between mild, cheery music and darker lyrical components, and that’s what I used to be going for with this one. It’s like I’m lastly giving up on being cool, however hey at the least there’s marimbas! ‘All of the prizes received from after I was younger meant subsequent to nothing then and nothing to me now’ is considered one of my favourite lyrics and likewise one of many hardest capsules to swallow, in all probability as a result of the reality hurts.”
Regardless of the heavy themes of growing old and loss, Firm Man is just not with out its moments of lightness and pleasure. Fredson’s capability to stability the mournful with the hopeful is a defining trait of the album.
Ultimately, Firm Man captures a musician in transition – reflecting on the years which have handed, reconciling with the choices made, and confronting the looming prospect of mid life within the not too distant future. Fredson’s taken a protracted onerous look within the mirror and his expectations have been adjusted accordingly. Certain he is probably not the younger gun he as soon as was, and possibly he misplaced the agency grip he as soon as had on his desires consequently. But when Firm Man is any indication, he’d be nicely suggested to hold on to them for expensive life.
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