Robbie Fulks and Heather Maloney

“It’s time to make a change,” Robbie Fulks declares on Now Then, his second Compass Records album. It’s a fitting statement from a GRAMMY‑nominated songwriter who has spent three decades shifting sounds and themes across 16 albums and stages from the Opry to the Hollywood Bowl.That restless spirit drives Now Then, a 12‑song set that moves from folk to power pop to old‑time country, all viewed through the lens of someone with more years behind than ahead. Fulks calls the tone “70 percent reflective, 20 percent amused, 10 percent angry.” Songs like “Workin’ No More Blues” push back against conformity, while “Savannah Is a Devilish Girl” and “The Thirty‑Year Marriage” explore aging, escape, and long‑earned love. His novelist’s eye sharpens story songs like “Your Tormentors,” “That Was Juarez, This Is Alpine,” and the coming‑of‑age “Ocean City.”Fulks’ collaborators include Jenny Scheinman, drummers Pete Thomas and Jay Bellerose, bassist Paul Bryan, keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, guitarists Duke Levine and Kevin Barry, and accordionist Pepe Carlos, crafting rich, interwoven textures. Written after his 2019 move to Los Angeles, Now Then reflects new musical circles and fresh inspiration.A longtime boundary‑pusher, Fulks has worked with Lucinda Williams, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Kelly Willis, and The Mekons, released genre‑spanning projects, and earned acclaim for his sharp wit, instrumental skill, and inventive storytelling.Artist WebsiteWith over 1,000 international shows and eight studio albums behind her, Heather Maloney is preparing to release her most personal record yet, Exploding Star (Jan 2025), followed by an international tour across the US and Europe.Her 2019 album Soil in the Sky earned praise for its emotional depth, featuring guests like Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and Lake Street Dive’s Rachael Price, along with members of the Amos Lee band. The Bluegrass Situation called her 2015 release Making Me Break “an intoxicating blend” of indie rock, folk, and spiritual…