Fedora Rex
Songs written at a desk before they're played on a stage — heavy rock and metal built on acoustic bones and a baritone voice.
The writer
Every song starts as a page before it's a riff.
Fedora Rex is the recording project of Russ Lieneman — a lyricist and songwriter who treats the notebook as his primary instrument. Every line, stanza, and story belongs entirely to him; the words are 100% human-crafted, built on blue-collar grit, forged resilience, and hard-earned experience.
The initial releases, including the debut LP Old and Scarred, utilize AI-generated music and vocal production purely as a vehicle to get these verses out of the inkwell and onto streaming platforms where they could finally be heard. Right now, the hardware is being gathered to build out a dedicated home studio, laying the groundwork to record raw, authentic vocal tracks and bring these songs fully into his own hands.
The catalog
Published Albums
Old and Scarred
- 01The Tree
- 02Heart and Soul
- 03Sanctuary
- 04Something for Someone
- 05One Step at a Time
- 06Then I Wouldn't Have You
- 07Concrete and Steel
- 08Old and Scarred
- 09Hammer in the Hand
- 10Architect of the Storm
Rust and Redemption
- 01After the Storm
- 02Between the Breaths
- 03Ghost in the Machine
- 04Glimmer and Shine (Grandpa)
- 05Load Bearing Walls
- 06Romantically Hopeless
- 07Rust and Redemption
- 08Steady Hands
- 09The Blueprint of my Life
- 10The Long Haul
From the notebook
The Open Ledger
Verse 1 I’ve been down many roads in my future and my past I've had hard times and good times that dont seem to last Spent years in the trenches not knowing how to feel Now I stand on a foundation made of concrete and steel I carry my own weight, I fight my own fight And I don't ask permission to step into the light. Chorus Thick as the concrete, tough as the steel We stand tall for the things that are real Built for the climb and we’re taking the lead Grit and resilience are the only code we need
Listen
Both albums, everywhere you stream
Also writing
A book, in parallel with the songs
The notebook doesn't care if it's a verse or a chapter.
Alongside the albums, a 12-chapter manuscript is underway: The Human Side of Security, an executive guide to leading security teams like people, not tickets. Manuscript complete, currently out to publishers.
Read about the book