Rawlings New Record “I Fixed It All”
The Nashville Producer, Songwriter, Singer and Co-Founder of Baked Alaska Records has an album out that deserves your attention
There is a new album out from an artist known simply as Rawlings. However, there is nothing simple about this man. He is not only an uber talented musician, but a songwriter, producer, singer and co-founder of Baked Alaska Records in Nashville. His full name is Joshua Rawlings, and his debut album is called I Fixed It All. This 11-track record is a direct reflection of the person who conceptualized it. If you know Josh, you will understand and if you don’t know him, just listen and you will.
This work is the ultimate road trip playlist add. Rawlings has captured a real introspective look at Americana and has wrapped it in his own whimsical yet reflective yarn. The sweater that is created from these textiles keeps us cozy and safe. He takes us through his personal journey, lets us all ride shotgun, and we get a special look into his glorious style of storytelling. The record is full of soul and savvy and puts you in a playful headspace where worry becomes useless.
From his social media platforms, “I’m wildly proud to announce the release of “I Fixed It All”. This project has been years in the making. As many of you know, it’s a painful process to actually put things into the world. I’m deeply grateful for all the love and support.”
The album jumps off with a Dan Reeder cover of ‘Nobody Wants To Be You’ that Rawlings delivers with passion. His version grinds forward with more punchy guitar upfront than the Reeder version, but the substance and honesty are both alive and well. Rawlings relayed this, “I’m a Dan Reeder fan-boy. His version is one of my favorite songs of all time. I think my version brings out another layer of the song which highlights the tragedy of the situation. His is better, mine is louder“. That’s exactly what you get when you dig into the complex art of Rawlings. He is driven by the oddities of life and a sense of allurement to the human condition.
The entire album is a testament of Rawling’s ability to pay attention to his surroundings and still be completely aware of his own behavioral cycles. ‘Angry Anymore’ is one such actualization that encompasses the realization of a change in pattern. This up-tempo track bounces through a recognition of past versus present realization and its mindfulness is captivating. “But I don’t get angry/ the same way anymore/ it restrains me/ keeps me indoors” is such a lyric from this composer that shares- not necessarily a growth- but rather a flip in psychological design. In youth it is easier to scream and break, and in adulthood it seems more manageable to bottle up such angst.
When I asked about his musical upbringing and influences that led to this project he told me, “The record is about reflection of my family background which is the strange intersection of LA gentrifier and Appalachian hillbilly. I was born and raised in Los Angeles until the family moved to Nashville when I was 17. This was a bit of a homecoming because my family is from the South”. He went on to tell me, “As a kid, my CD collection spanned from Eminem to Dan Fogelberg. It’s much the same today. My heroes are Randy Newman and Dan Reeder because of their free spirited yet grounded comedic poetry and wonderful melodies. I had to prove to myself that I was still a musician. I made a New Year resolution two years prior that I would do it. At year three, it finally happened. Now that it’s out. I’m ready for another“.
I am enamored by the depth of his song that he titles ‘Teeny Tiny’. Rawlings says of the track, “This is by far the hardest song to put out. Because it attempts to address the end of innocence, something I feel too guilty to speak about regularly.” When I told him that I thought the song was gorgeous, but that I wanted to know about the story behind the song he went on to tell me, “Thanks for saying that. It is based on the truth. We should make time to discuss this song in more detail. I couldn’t do the truth justice without dedicating time to give you the background.” So, I will have to dive deeper into that with Rawlings in a future interview as we were cut short for time when I brought up the subject.
What I can convey is that he delivers the tune to us via a place of isolation. You can hear his desperation to share, however there is an overtone of reluctancy that is haunting. It’s that place where we all feel vulnerable, but we no longer wish to be alone in a cloud of remorse. His voice booms over the top of his fingers that sometimes lightly flicker the ivory keys and at other moments pound them into submission to relay the point. The song cascades and hangs in an ethereal ethos shrouded in raw emotion that reads:
“Back when I was teeny tiny/ I felt the spirits stand beside me/ They would show me where to go/ Often places I don’t know/ Followed lights and I found fortune/ Then started to believe myself/ And somewhere beyond reason/ I traded good life for wealth”
When it comes to the production of the actual tracks and his songwriting he conveyed, “I did the writing for all but ‘Nobody Wants to be You’ on piano. As for my instrumental contributions, the only notable part was the bass playing on ‘Reefer Everyday’. I’m a born and bred bass player, that is my instrument. I trusted the bad ass musicians to play most of the notes of the record. The players are Tom Bukovac, Matty Alger, Gordon Mote (Tiny Tiny), Jimmy Wallace, and Jon Cavendish”. I then asked specifically about ‘Another Year’ which opens with a twangy guitar part and eases into Rawlings leading a southern driven ballad, but then there is a second voice that we are introduced too. “Matty Alger thought the song would be better as a duet. So, we enlisted his wife Laura Alger to sing in that section”, he said “The other BVGs [Background Vocals], are her 7-year-old daughter and Jon Cavendish.“
ABOVE ARE IMAGES FROM HIS VIDEOS
The video that he put out for ‘Teeny Tiny’ matches the mood of the melody with a single light shining on our singer as he presents the meaningful track. He is lit in a blue and black hue which captures the message of the song. The camera cuts from a side shot of the piano player to close up images of his face, belting the raw emotion from within. The structure of these well placed shots, along with the level of intensity, is quite breathtaking in its simplicity.
You are drawn in by the heart of Rawlings, and then that humor creeps up and slaps you in the face. His mantra appears to be one of not taking life too seriously. “My favorite songwriters have a humorous side. Life is not a joke, but it’s funny. It’s hard to make most people laugh. Thankfully, I have a low bar and most everything is funny to me” he said. With ‘Reefer Everyday’ playing next, this juxtaposed schematic plays devil’s advocate opposite his artistic weighty self. ‘Stupid Fucking Lazy Piece of Shit’ also lends some hilarity, but also, a gigantic scoop of honesty that lots of people might hide, but not Rawlings, he serves it up on a plate and implores you to grab seconds.
The record is a true summation of all parts Rawlings. It will make you think, laugh, reflect and rejoice throughout its spin. This is a busy man with lots of projects being balanced at all times yet if you need something more from him, he is there to lend an ear or a hand. You should give this album a listen and continue to support live musicians and independent artists as much as you can. His hope is that “Once upon a time, before this record came out there was tragedy, poverty, depression, racism, and gentrification. I fixed it all”. His other hope is that he can open for Dan Reeder someday. I wouldn’t rule it out. Be kind.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEOS FOR A FEW OF HIS TRACKS HERE:
Discover more from Rock Oracle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Great , insightful write up on Josh and his music !
His new album , I Fixed It All , is amazingl!
I enjoyed the album thoroughly. Didn’t love every song but certainly appreciated the diversity and talent on display. Hell of a voice and the passion comes through constantly.