Robbie Fulks’ Now Then is a sharp, soulful set that captures his life from Appalachia to Los Angeles with wit, grit, and the kind of songwriting that proves why he’s long been counted among America’s best.
Robbie Fulks has built a career on independence and unpredictability, blending the raw urgency of punk with the storytelling roots of country and Americana. On his new album Now Then, he looks back at where he came from and measures it against the life he has built in Los Angeles since 2018. Fulks says the songs reflect both the city around him and the perspective that comes with age, shaped by new friendships and musicians who helped bring his ideas to life. “Listening back to it now, I’d say it reveals my present psychological profile to be 70% pensive, 20% droll, and 10% angry.”
He produced the album at Jackson Browne’s Groove Masters studio in Santa Monica, with Sheldon Gomberg engineering and Tucker Martine mixing. The lineup features Pete Thomas and Jay Bellerose on drums, Jenny Scheinman on fiddle, Kevin Barry and Duke Levine on guitars, Paul Bryan and Kimon Kirke on bass, and Wayne Horvitz on keys. Together they give the songs both muscle and nuance, serving Fulks’ words with the richness they deserve.
Fulks came to national attention in the 1990s as a key figure in the alt-country scene, with releases on Bloodshot, Yep Roc, and Geffen. He quickly earned a reputation as one of America’s finest contemporary songwriters, the kind who can shift from biting satire to tender reflection without losing his voice. Two Grammy nominations, guitar magazine covers that celebrate his playing, and the respect of his peers all speak to his place in American music.
Now Then is the sound of an artist still restless and still reaching. Variety has called him “one of the best writers in America, period,” and this record proves the point. It is personal, unflinching, and alive with the mix of humor, anger, and humanity that have always defined Robbie Fulks at his best.
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