What do you get when you combine imaginative storytelling, whimsical pop music, and music that sounds like starlight? London-based singer Ebony Buckle!
Ebony Buckle is unlike any musician you’ve heard before. Fearlessly defining her own sound, Ebony’s here to tell her stories to “anyone who will listen.” Establishing that emotional connection with her audience is something that’s important to Ebony, and it shows in her work. Whether she’s singing about mermaids, space whales, or her imaginary best friend Susan The Raptor, it’s clear that Ebony puts her heart into everything she does.
We had the chance to speak with Ebony about her music, her approach to creating her songs, and what’s next for her.
Can you introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us a little about yourself?
“Hello, my name is Ebony, and I’m an Australian living in London. I sing whimsical and dramatic folk-pop to anyone who will listen. “
Do you have any particular musical influences?
“I love Imogen Heap, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos, Aurora, Austra, and Belle and Sebastian to name a few. Oh, also Kate Bush, obviously. I think what draws me to these artists is the way they don’t seem to be afraid to express their own unique sound. “
What sort of things inspire your songwriting?
“I love telling stories. I have a very active imagination and read a lot of fairytales as a kid (also now), so lots of my songs are about mermaids, selkies, dinosaurs, spies, alien invasion, and lonely space whales.”
Can you tell us a bit about what your newest track, “Susan,” means to you?
“Susan is a love song for my imaginary best friend. Her full name is Susan The Raptor and she is full of pizzazz. The song is full of joy, though there is also some melancholy. It’s that feeling when you remember the crazy and wonderful adventures or nights out dancing you used to have, and even though they are happy memories, you are sad because they are in the past.”
What was the writing and recording process for “Susan” like?
“I write and record with my Husband Nick Burns in our studio. The song came quite organically one night. I was wearing a dinosaur onesie (naturally) and we just started playing the chorus and went from there. Nick is a brilliant producer, and he made the track sound really joyful, I think. I mainly just swanned in and said things like: “I want it to sound more like starlight” and “Can we emphasize the pavlova moment?”
If you could have listeners take one message from listening to your music, what would you want it to be?
“I always want people to join me in the whimsical world I am trying to create. If they can emotionally connect to my music, even if I am singing about a lonely whale, then that is the best feeling.”
What can we expect next from you? Do you have anything coming up we should keep an eye out for?
“I am spending this year making my first album using the crowdfunding platform Patreon. Please check it out at www.patreon.com/ebonybuckle and sign up if you want to come on this adventure with me! I will be releasing lots of exclusive stuff every month for Patreon-only people. I also have my own show coming up on the 20th of February at the Camden Chapel. Make sure you book tickets as there are limited seats! I hope to see you there.”
You can stream Ebony’s newest single below.
