Been Doin' It for a Bit

Been Doin' It for a Bit is the debut studio album by Australian singer-songwriter Ruby Fields, released through Space 44 Records and Flightless on 24 September 2021. The album debuted at number 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart.^[7] At the J Awards of 2021, the album was nominated for Australian Album of the Year.^[8]

Been Doin' It for a Bit
Studio album by Ruby Fields
Released	24 September 2021
Recorded	2020
Studio	Waiuku, New Zealand The Music Farm, Byron Bay, Australia
Genre	Alternative[1] pop punk[2]
Length	33:27
Label	Ruby Fields Space 44 Flightless
Producer	Chris Collins Tim Fitz
Ruby Fields chronology
Permanent Hermit (2019) Been Doin' It for a Bit (2021)
Singles from Been Doin' It for a Bit
"Pretty Grim" Released: 25 September 2020[3] "R.E.G.O." Released: 6 April 2021[4] "Song About a Boy" Released: July 2021[5] "Bottle-O" Released: 21 September 2021[6]

Background and recording

Fields recorded the album in Waiuku, New Zealand in early 2020, but the sessions were cut short when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. They ultimately regrouped to complete the record at The Music Farm, Byron Bay later in the year. The Australian Independent Record Labels Association 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."^[9]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The AU Review	[10]
Clash	8/10[11]
NME Australia	[12]

Matt Doria from NME Australia called the album a "gut-punching debut from an indie-rocker wiser than her years."^[12]

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".^[10]

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."^[11]

Al Newstead from ABC 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."^[13]

In a review for Blunt Magazine, Mary Varvaris wrote that the album was "even greater than expected", stating that Fields created an album packed with "punchy, energetic, honest pop-punk anthems" with an "Aussie spin".^[2]

Track listing

Track listing for Been Doin' It for a Bit

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Song About a Boy"	Ruby Fields, Tim Fitz	3:49
2.	"R.E.G.O."	Fields, Chris Collins	2:59
3.	"Kitchen"	Fields	4:53
4.	"Bruises"	Fields	2:57
5.	"Airport Cafe"	Fields, Fitz	2:59
6.	"Pokies" (featuring Adam Newling)	Fields	3:09
7.	"Pretty Grim"	Fields, Fitz	2:49
8.	"Ouch"	Fields	1:46
9.	"Worms"	Fields	2:12
10.	"Clothes Line"	Fields	3:22
11.	"Bottle-O"	Fields	2:32
Total length:			33:27

Charts

Chart performance for Been Doin' It for a Bit

Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[14]	1

Release history

Release history and formats for Been Doin' It for a Bit

Region	Date	Format	Edition(s)	Label	Catalogue	Reference
Various	24 September 2021	digital download streaming	Standard	Ruby Fields		[15]
Australia		CD		Space 44 Flightless	S44CD0009	[1]
		LP	Super blue vinyl		S44LP0009	[16]
		Cassette			FLTD-002	[17]

See also

• List of number-one albums of 2021 (Australia)