There’s a certain kind of quiet that settles over rural towns, a quiet that can either suffocate you or force you to make your own noise.
For Jax Fleming, hailing from the outskirts of Henderson, Kentucky, it was always about being heard. It started with a 30 Seconds to Mars video and a text to his dad:
“this is what I want to do.”
That desire led him to front the alt-rock outfit Atlas of the Dogs, playing some of Southern Indiana’s biggest stages.
But the music of a band is a shared one, a compromise. On his debut solo EP, “I’ll Be Fine,” Fleming steps into a different kind of sound, one that is entirely his own.
The six-song EP is a project born of introspection and a year and a half of dedicated work.
“It’s basically my diary in six tracks,” Fleming says of the collection.
And it feels that way. This isn’t the sound of an artist chasing trends; it’s the sound of someone figuring things out, one song at a time.
Working with producer Wes Luttrell, Fleming played the majority of the instruments himself. From the guitar, drums, piano, synth, to the bass making this a truly personal document.
The EP opens with “Superficial,” a track that immediately sets a mood. It’s a song you can dance to, but it’s a lonely dance, the kind you do in your apartment late at night when the city is asleep.
The guitars are washed in reverb, creating a sound that feels both immediate and distant, like a memory you can’t quite shake.
It’s a strong introduction to Fleming’s sonic palette, a place where pop sensibilities meet a grungier, more introspective edge.
The title track, “I’ll Be Fine,” follows, and it’s here that the EP’s central theme comes into focus. The song is built around a tight, insistent strumming pattern, a forward momentum that belies the emotional weight of the lyrics.
It’s a song about resilience, not in a loud, anthemic way, but in a quiet, determined one. The chorus has a gentle lift, a small moment of hope in the midst of uncertainty.
It’s a beautifully crafted piece of modern alternative pop, one that feels earned rather than manufactured.
Then there’s “3 am” The title alone tells you where this song is going. It begins with a trembling guitar, a sound that feels like it’s being played in a half-dream state. The rhythm pushes forward with a nervous energy, a feeling of being caught between sleep and waking.
Fleming uses space masterfully here, letting instruments appear and disappear like figures in a fog. It’s a track that hints at something darker, a noir-ish quality that adds a layer of mystery to the EP.
The closing track, “HiLo,” is a fitting end to this emotional expedition. It’s a song of contrasts, of quiet moments that explode into wide-screen crescendos. Echo-laden phrases give way to heavier melodic lines, a push and pull that mirrors the song’s title.
It’s a final look at Fleming’s ability to balance introspection with a sense of forward motion, to be both vulnerable and strong.
It’s a song that doesn’t offer easy answers, but instead leaves you with a feeling of catharsis, a sense that the struggle is worth it.
Across its twenty-minute runtime, “I’ll Be Fine” is a remarkably cohesive and confident debut. Fleming has a clear vision for his music, a sound that is modern and moody, yet unclassifiable.
He’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve, to share his diary with the world. And in doing so, he’s created something that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.
It’s a reminder that sometimes, the quietest voices are the ones that have the most to say. Jax Fleming is making his own noise now, and it’s a sound that deserves to be heard.
