Throughout these last few years, London-based singer-songwriter Ebony Buckle has been quick to cement her place on the new music scene. Brimming with fresh and explorative innovation at every turn, she recently returned once again to deliver her spellbinding new single ‘Golden Sand’.
And with that track continuing to grow and nurture her presence, we caught up with her to discuss her background, influences and ambitions for the years ahead.
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Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you got started in music?
I grew up in Australia by the sea. There was a beautiful creative community in the town where I grew up so I was always in the local musicals and theatre productions. I was surrounded by a lot of music and theatre. I’ve written poems and songs for as long as I can remember, it was the way I found I could express myself. After school I studied opera singing and then moved to London to study musical theatre. I still work as an actor, but I found that I needed to have some control and autonomy over my creativity. Making my own music the way I want to was the answer for that. I started a Patreon in 2020 which has been life changing as it’s given me the funding I need to be an independent artist.
Who are your biggest musical influences and how have they shaped your sound?
I think I draw from many genres as I’ve had a varied background in music. There’s the dramatic and more classical elements from my opera and musical theatre training. But growing up I was obsessed with artists like Imogen Heap, Kate Bush, The Cranberries, Sinead O’Connor, Regina Spektor, Madonna, Tori Amos and Kate Miller-Heidke. Mainly female artists who seemed to be unafraid to have their own sound and voice.
Was there a specific moment or experience that made you decide to pursue music seriously?
In 2012, my marriage visa was refused (thanks to Theresa May’s “Hostile environment commity”) and I was separated from Nick for nearly two years. I lived back home in Australia surrounded by beautiful people, but my life was on hold. I’d just been a guest lead in a BBC drama and suddenly I couldn’t audition for work and had no idea when I would be allowed back to the UK. It made me realise that I really needed to make music and express myself and so I was going to fight for it and commit wholeheartedly. We wrote the song Ghost (released in 2020) over skype during that time. When I finally got my visa and we started performing in London it just felt that I had found the thing I was supposed to be doing.
Can you walk us through your typical songwriting process?
I write weekly poems for my patreon people and often those poems will turn into songs. Sometimes I will just sit at the piano and see what comes out. I try not to force things, instead I try to tease them out over time. Sometimes a song will appear all at once, other times I’ll have a phrase stuck in my head for months before I know what to do with it.
When the song is fleshed out I will bring it to Nick and we will work together on arranging it. Or sometimes he will play piano and I’ll just sing and see what happens.
How do you find inspiration for your music and lyrics?
A lot of my music is fairly biographical, especially this new album. I think growing up, I had a very active imagination and I don’t think it’s ever really gone away. I love reading books by Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood and Isabelle Allende to name a few and also the New Scientist is a great source of inspiration.
With my first album Disco Lasers, I used a lot of myth and folklore to explain myself and the world around me. It’s a very ethereal album and the songs are quite dramatic and epic in their storytelling. Hearts Get Started I would say is a more grounded album. It’s made up of real moments and little stories. My latest single Golden Sand for example, was written after I found a picture of my brother and I by the sea when we were little. I was suddenly so homesick and nostalgic and I wanted to write a song for that time and that moment.
What themes or messages do you hope listeners take away from your music?
I don’t think there are specific messages I am trying to get across. With music I find the connection to people is deeper. You know when you connect to a song and can’t understand exactly why it moved you? I think if it comes from a true place it will reach people in a way that just words can’t.
What challenges have you faced as an emerging artist in the music industry?
I think the music industry is pretty broken. It’s falling in on itself and feeding off the people who are making the music in the first place. People are so afraid to take a chance on anything new and different, they rely on numbers to prove if something is worthwhile. Streaming platforms don’t pay artists what they deserve and so we are forced to spend so much time trying to earn enough money to keep going that it’s hard to find the time to create. Again…Patreon has been my saviour in this.
Dealing with rejection is tough. I think the idea that performers have thick skin is a myth. It definitely is for me anyway. Rejection hurts because you are putting something very precious and vulnerable out there. You keep going because you believe in what you’re doing. I think it’s a constant battle to believe in yourself enough to keep pushing because you’re the only one who can do it.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your musical journey so far?
I think our first album Disco Lasers was the biggest thing I have ever made. We are so proud of it and it continues to travel around the world and gain new fans. Meeting people at shows or on patreon has been so lovely as the community around our music grows. Probably one of my favourite things is playing with other musicians. I am so lucky to have some amazing musicians in my band and sometimes I can’t believe that they agreed to play songs I have written. It’s a little surreal in a very lovely way. Also going through this whole process with my partner in crime Nick Burns is pretty special.
How do you stay true to yourself and your artistry in a constantly evolving industry?
I have found my way to do this through Patreon. I have people who subscribe to me and who support what we are making. This means I am able to support other artists to create work with me; cinematographers, editors, artists, session musicians, costume designers; this is all possible for me to do because of patreon. I am not relying on anyone from the music industry to let me make my art because I can just do it myself. It probably means my growth is slower than other artists, but it is steady and sustainable and I am in charge!
What can fans expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or tours?
We have our next album out on the 4th of October with an album launch party in London on the 17th of October at The Camden Club. We also have lots of shows coming up and a tour in The Netherlands next april. The best way to keep in touch is via my mailing list or you can check out the options on patreon too!
Where do you see yourself and your music career in the next five years?
Performing at Eurovision. A poetry book published. More touring around the UK and Europe and a third album that’s already being written! I have very big dreams and hopefully the resources to back them up!
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Watch the video for Ebony Buckle’s ‘Golden Sand’ below.
