out April 3rd, 2026

In the summer of 2025, Los Angeles-based country artist Jonny Fritz released his first recorded music after a near decade-long hiatus from the music business. “Debbie Downers”, however, would not be the start of your typical record release cycle, but a multi-album, genre-spanning spectacle meant to bring Jonny’s songwriting to new sonic worlds and challenge the consumption-obsessed nature of the modern digital music landscape. Debbie Downers part one, a classic sounding Americana album recorded in Nashville, was released in October, 2025. The next installment, Debbie Downers - Woodwinds, saw the original album’s nine tracks reimagined with an all-woodwinds ensemble, composed by Andrew Conrad.

On this next chapter, DEBBIE DOWNERS - KARAOKE, friends from across the Americana music world take on Jonny’s songs over meticulously programmed MIDI instrumentals. Guests include Nick Shoulders, Cary Ann Hearst, Courtney Marie Andrews, The Lone Bellow, Riley Downing, and more.

“I saw Avatar with Deer Tick in Providence, RI in 2009 after an extremely long tour. It wasn’t the best movie but we all had Swine Flu and we did not care. Somewhere in that feverish flu brain I got the idea to have someone else sing my songs for me. I wanted an Avatar too. So right then and there I started figuring out how I would do it. They say that artists are the most innovative minds in the world but I think we get too much credit. I say this because it took me 15 years to realize I could just pay Jordan Lehning to convert my album to midi and then ask my best singing friends to cover my songs for me. The end result being a bizarre tribute style karaoke record of sorts. Here’s what my music could sound like if I just sang a whole lot better. This is my gift to myself - my own lil Avatar and I’m glad to share it with you all too.” 
 - Jonny Fritz

One more version, to be released later in 2026, will complete the collection.