Jonny Fritz Returns With Debbie Downers – Woodwinds, the Second Chapter of an Ambitious Four-Album Project

Los Angeles–based country artist Jonny Fritz has returned from a nearly decade-long hiatus with Debbie Downers. This bold, multi-album project reimagines a single record across radically different musical worlds. The second installment, Debbie Downers – Woodwinds, follows the October 2025 release of the album’s Nashville-recorded Americana version and transforms its nine songs into a chamber-like work for an all-woodwinds ensemble.

Arranged and composed by Andrew Conrad, Debbie Downers – Woodwinds trades guitars for clarinet, flute, piccolo, and saxophone, reframing Fritz’s sharp-witted songwriting through playful, cinematic textures. “I’ve wanted to make a woodwinds record forever,” Fritz says. “I had this vision of clarinets playing chicken-pickin Telecaster solos. I brought Andrew one version of the record, and he turned it into something completely different—and much better.”

Entirely self-funded and independently conceived, Debbie Downers is a four-part collection that pushes back against the disposable nature of modern music releases. Two additional versions of the album, each with its own distinct musical approach, are scheduled for release in 2026.

Before stepping away from music, Fritz spent 15 years touring relentlessly as one of country music’s most singular voices, recording for ATO Records, writing songs for artists like Dawes, and building a cult following through his humor, vulnerability, and eye for everyday detail. Burned out on turning passion into a paycheck, he left the road, became a father, and reinvented himself as “L.A.’s Only Realtor,” largely avoiding the recording studio for nearly a decade.

His return is marked by renewed creative freedom. On Debbie Downers, Fritz skewers Nashville tourism (“Hot Chicken Condos”), lovingly praises tea culture (“Tea Man”), reimagines Spike Jonze’s Her as a country love song (“Have You Seen Her”), and finds meaning in the overlooked moments of blue-collar life. He describes his approach as “Dad country”—rooted in nuance, humor, and the emotional gray area between sincerity and satire.

Recorded live in Alhambra, CA, and featuring performances by Christine Tavolacci, Michael Mull, Brian Walsh, and Andrew Conrad, Debbie Downers – Woodwinds offers a surprising new lens on Fritz’s songwriting and underscores a return guided by curiosity rather than convention.

“I just wanted to stay true to myself,” Fritz says. “Artistic integrity is worth more than any payoff—and by that measure, this project has already succeeded.”