Thomas Dollbaum’s new album, Birds Of Paradise, arrives Friday as a striking example of modern indie-country storytelling shaped by Florida’s restless, often seedy edges. Dollbaum, 32, is a Louisiana-based songwriter originally from Tampa whose music blends conversational vocals, vivid regional detail, and a rugged heartland-rock sensibility. The record has drawn added attention because it features backing vocals and drums from MJ Lenderman, whose presence links Dollbaum to the current wave of indie alt-country that also includes artists like Karly Hartzman, Fust, Florry, and others.
Despite the fresh momentum around the album, Birds Of Paradise was actually recorded three years ago in Water Valley, Mississippi, in just four days. Dollbaum gathered a loose band of friends and collaborators there in 2023, before Lenderman’s breakthrough year and before the broader boom in country-leaning indie rock fully took hold. The album was then delayed by a dispute with Dollbaum’s former label, described as a case of “creative differences,” and later picked up by Dear Life Records after a long wait for release space.
Dollbaum appears unbothered by the delay, saying the extra time helped the album settle into its final form. He suggests the waiting period allowed both him and the record to be better prepared for release. While the timing may now work in his favor, the songs themselves were written and recorded well before the style became so widely recognized.
Musically, the album stands out for its sharp narrative writing and grounded scenes from Florida life. Songs such as “Florida,” “Whippits/Trailer Lights,” and “Big Boi” focus on drifters, addicts, and people trying to get by, often with a mix of empathy, grit, and dark humor. Dollbaum’s approach recalls songwriters such as Lenderman, Damien Jurado, Jason Isbell, John Prine, and Warren Zevon, but with a voice that leans sturdily into classic American roots-rock rather than pure indie understatement.
In interviews, Dollbaum describes Florida as a transient place where many people come to start over, though not always to change. He says the state’s culture, geography, and social mix have long shaped his writing. Though he now lives in New Orleans, he does not yet feel able to write about that city in the same way, since Florida remains his deeper emotional home and the setting that still feels most natural to him as a storyteller.
Dollbaum’s backstory also reflects the DIY and punk scenes around Tampa, where he first went to shows before finding his own lane. He once played in a reggae cover band, but always gravitated toward singer-songwriter traditions and narrative songwriting. His influences include Bob Dylan, John Prine, Neil Young, and Damien Jurado.
One of the album’s key songs, “Big Boi,” comes from a real-life encounter in which Dollbaum ended up driving strangers around Florida for hours, including a stop at a pill mill, an experience that captures the accidental, observational quality of his writing. For Dollbaum, songwriting is less about hunting for material than about remaining open to whatever odd, revealing moments life provides.
