Brent Cobb Strikes a Balance Between Rock and Reverence With New Album
Cobb releases Ain’t Rocked in a While, a fuzzed-out, Southern rock-inspired record with his band The Fixin’s
Few artists walk the line between the old and the new like Brent Cobb. The Ellaville, Georgia native—and longtime keeper of the country music flame—has delivered another defining album this year.
Earlier this week, Cobb released Ain’t Rocked in a While, a fuzzed-out, Southern rock-inspired record with his band The Fixin’s. It’s a live-wired departure from the acoustic leanings of his earlier work, but still driven by the same narrative strength and grounded values that made fans fall in love with albums like Shine on Rainy Day and Southern Star.
Watch “Ain't Rocked in a While” by Brent Cobb & the Fixin's
Recorded live to tape at The Black Palace in Springfield, Missouri, and co-produced with Oran Thornton, the new record captures Cobb’s rowdy live show energy while keeping one boot firmly planted in country soil. “I want people to have an album of reference,” Cobb explains. “Our live show kinda rocks. Sometimes people are taken aback.”
Songs like the single “Bad Feelin’” embrace that heavier sound, while never abandoning the lyrical roots that define Cobb’s songwriting. Critical reception has been swift and enthusiastic: Whiskey Riff calls the album “heavier in the sonic sense than ever before,” while Country Central dubs it “a perfect synopsis of Cobb’s artistic go-tos.” Glide notes the album’s “psychedelic tendencies” and “fuzzy garage rock” vibe—something that feels fresh, but still deeply Southern.
Watch “Bad Feelin’’’ by Brent Cobb
The Fixin’s—Len Clark (drums), Matt McDaniel (guitar), and Josh Williams (bass)—bring swagger and groove to the album, which Cobb and crew are taking on the road this summer and fall. Their national headline tour includes a July 15 pop-up release show at The Blue Room in Nashville, plus stops at venues like New York’s Bowery Ballroom, L.A.’s Troubadour, and Portland’s Aladdin Theater.
A Career Rooted in Tradition
Brent Cobb’s work has always been rooted in family, storytelling, and Southern heritage. Whether he’s exploring his thoughts (Keep 'Em on They Toes), the people who shaped him (Providence Canyon), or his beliefs (And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…), his albums feel like open letters—to his kids, to his fans, and to the South itself.
In addition to his solo work, Cobb has penned songs for Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and numerous other artists. His song “Snakebite” was featured in Paramount’s Landman, and 2021, he authored the children’s book Little Stuff, inspired by the music of the same name.
And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…: A Gospel Milestone
Before he plugged in and turned up the amps, Cobb released what many fans consider his most personal project: And Now, Let’s Turn to Page…, a 2022 gospel album that channels his roots in faith, family, and small-town Southern life.
Produced by cousin Dave Cobb at RCA Studio A in Nashville, the record includes eight traditional hymns and one original track, “When It’s My Time,” written with his wife Layne Cobb and Mike Harmeier of Mike and the Moonpies.
The inspiration came in 2020, after a life-threatening car accident with his young son in the vehicle. “You just start piecing together how everything is sort of intentional,” Cobb says. “That moment of clarity made me think, I should just make the gospel album now.”
Watch “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” by Brent Cobb
From church standards like “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” and “Old Rugged Cross” to full-circle family harmonies, the album is steeped in reverence. Cobb’s parents and sister join him for the first time in the studio, while his father’s gospel group, Antioch, lends its voice to “Old Country Church.” Rising country star Caylee Hammack, another Ellaville native, adds harmony vocals across the record.
“It used to be a rite of passage for country singers to make a gospel record,” Cobb explains. “I’m just trying to carry that torch.”