Mark Fredson’s musical journey spans more than two decades, marked by a dogged commitment to the pursuit of making music for music’s sake. Hailing from Port Angeles, Washington, Fredson was just a sophomore in high school – when he signed his first record deal. As a frontman, songwriter, pianist, and producer, his body of work is vast, from the outlaw country of Margo Price’s “Hurtin’ (On the Bottle),” which he co-wrote with Price, to the theatrical pop anthems that have defined his solo career. But it’s his latest album, Company Man, arriving in the spring of 2025, that marks a a new chapter in Fredson’s artistic evolution. The album explores the tension between chaotic beauty of youth and the mundane realities of growing older, all while refusing to let go of a life in service to music, even if it’s sometimes more labor than love.
Fredson’s high-octane days as the frontman of the Nashville-by-way-of-Port Angeles band The Lonely H had their fair share of musical highlights, but it wasn’t until he went solo that Fredson’s true musical identity was solidified. After releasing his debut solo album, Going to the Movies, in 2020, Fredson followed up with two debauchery-fueled full-length efforts, 2021’s Nothing But Night and 2023’s Outskirts. Now, with Company Man, he dives deeper into the internal l conflicts brought on by the pesky hands of time and the realities of making ends meet. Across its 10 lean tracks, Fredson reckons with the challenges of making art while spending over a decade working in the restaurant industry. Was it worth it? The album continues to pose this stubborn question, even if the answer remains elusive.
With Company Man, Fredson shifts gears sonically, embracing a more polished and layered sound than ever before. Though the album retains his signature bedroom pop sensibilities – home recordings crafted largely alone in his East Nashville studio – it also benefits from new production techniques and a deeper pool of collaborators. Fredson says, “On this one I really wanted to up the production level. I tracked every song at a higher bit rate, I bought a tube pre-amp to run my vocals and keyboards through, and invested in a bunch of other gear to help me level up.”
The result is an album that feels fresh yet familiar, blending Fredson’s influences – classic rock, indie pop, and soft rock – with a modern sheen. Aided by an impressive roster of some of Nashville’s best, Company Man introduces a rich, layered sound that signals Fredson’s growth as a producer. “It’s also my most extensive musician credit list of any of my albums by far,” Fredson reflects. “Whereas the previous albums all had mainly one player on each instrument throughout the whole album, on this one I really dug heavily into my rolodex and called upon a bunch of different players I’ve come to know over the course of my time in Nashville. Three different bassists, three drummers, three guitarists, my trusty saxophonist, a couple string arrangements later, and you’ve got a pretty stacked credits list.”
Company Man captures a musician in transition – reflecting on the years that have passed, reconciling with the decisions made, and confronting the looming prospect of mid life in the not too distant future. Fredson’s taken a long hard look in the mirror and his expectations have been adjusted accordingly. Sure he may not be the young gun he once was, and maybe he lost the firm grip he once had on his dreams as a result. But if Company Man is any indication, he’d be well advised to hang on to them for dear life.
Today, Glide is excited to premiere the album’s title track and its epic accompanying video. Besides the music, the video itself captures a nearly perfect infomercial-ready take on that classic office jockey of the 70s of 80s. Musically, this is synth pop of the highest order with its thoughtful lyrics and fun flourishes that only serve to complement Fredson’s slightly dark and existential crisis unfolding. With plenty of imagery of this so-called company man becoming gradually unhinged, we get a song about an individual working hard to find himself. The result is a song that is both catchy and thoughtful.
Fredson describes the inspiration behind the song and video:
“The song itself serves as both the title track to the whole album as well as the leadoff track. It serves as a mission statement for the whole album, touching on the dual identities that form when participating in the grind of capitalism to make ends meet, while still “hangin’ on to dreams” despite how hard it is to maintain a hold on them as you get older.
Myself and longtime collaborator, friend, and director, Miles Burnett, had the idea of the character in the video being married to a kind of corporate gig for better or worse. He’s secure in his job, but you can see in his eyes that he’s dying on the inside. He’s got a boss that’s hounding him, micromanaging every move he makes, and literally spitting cracker crumbs in his face. When he clocks out, the only way he knows to decompress is to grab a very large malt liquor beverage and walk it off on the beach behind the old, rusting mill in his town. By the time the last verse comes around, it’s presumably the next day, and he’s made peace with his fate as a company man, and he and his boss seem to be buddy-buddy. Is it wishful thinking on his part? Is he lying to himself? Does he actually like his greasy boss? The questions linger without resolution as the song and the video fade out.”
WATCH:
