''Been Doin' It for a Bit'' is the debut studio album by Australian singer-songwriter

Ruby Fields Ruby Phillips, known professionally as Ruby Fields, is an Australian singer-songwriter and guitarist from Cronulla, New South Wales. In 2018, she released her debut EP ''Your Dad's Opinion for Dinner'', followed by the singles "I Want", "P Plate ...

, released through Space 44 Records and

Flightless Flightless birds are birds that through evolution lost the ability to fly. There are over 60 extant species, including the well known ratites (ostriches, emu, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwi) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the ...

on 24 September 2021. The album debuted at number 1 on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

. At the

J Awards of 2021 The J Awards of 2021 are the seventeenth annual J Awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian Radio ...

, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.

Background and recording

Ruby Fields recorded the album in

Waiuku Waiuku is a rural town in the Auckland Region in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Waiuku River, which is an estuarial arm of the Manukau Harbour, and lies on the isthmus of the Āwhitu Peninsula, which ...

, New Zealand in early 2020, but the sessions were cut short when the

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hit. They ultimately regrouped to complete the record at The Music Farm,

Byron Bay Byron Bay ( Minjungbal: ''Cavvanbah)'' is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia on Bundjalung Country. It is located north of Sydney and south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a hea ...

later in the year. The

Australian Independent Record Labels Association The Australian Independent Record Labels Association (commonly known as AIR), formerly Association of Independent Record Labels, is a non-profit trade association which supports the growth and development of Australia's independent recording i ...

said "The finished product is a declaration of individual and artistic independence that reflects the complexities of growing up, making mistakes, and ultimately making peace with one's fallibility."

Critical reception

Matt Doria from ''

NME Australia ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'' called the album a "gut-punching debut from an indie-rocker wiser than her years." Dylan Marshall from ''The AU Review'' named it "A genuinely fun and charismatically easy listen" and "the edge of summer album you've been looking forward to after a long and bleak winter". Shannon Garner from '' Clash'' felt that "the album is everything that Fields has built her name on – a modern, no-bullshit personality, and is an honest celebration of where she is at in life." Al Newstead from

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

said "Each song on ''Been Doin' It for a Bit'' is packed with detail and memorable lines that convey so much more than their seemingly banal settings initially appear. From kitchens to pubs, backyards to bottle-os, Ruby is capable of being hilarious and heartfelt all at once, having you crying into a frothie as much as laughing over one." In a review for ''

Blunt Magazine ''Blunt Magazine'' is an online music magazine based in Australia. Previously based in print, the magazine is now predominantly online, with occasional physical releases. With historical covers featuring A Day to Remember, Bring Me the Horizon, ...

'', Mary Varvaris wrote that the album was "even greater than expected", stating that Fields created an album packed with "punchy, energetic, honest

pop-punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

anthems" with an "Aussie spin".

Track listing

Charts

Release history

References