WATCH / SHARE “NEON BLUE” HERE
EVERYWHERE I USED TO BE, OUT TOMORROW VIA BIRTHDAY CAKE RECORDS
PRE-SAVE EVERYWHERE I USED TO BE HERE
" I don't know if it's Buckley's dream to be an essential new voice in Canadian music, but she is. Everywhere I Used to Be should prove that." - CBC Music
“There’s a grit to Mariel Buckley’s voice that can’t be manufactured with studio wizardry. She can hit heavenly registers, but always with a tinge of angst, like tasting a bit of coffee grounds at the bottom of a cup of velvety coffee, the mark of handcrafted majesty. …Everywhere I Used To Be is a tremendous showcase of Buckley’s talents.” The Edmonton Journal
It’s heart on your sleeve, uncompromising, honest stuff. An album of self-acceptance which is beautifully delivered. …Exceptional and sincere.” Americana UK
"The first single is "Shooting at the Moon," a propulsive heartland rock/alt-country song that comes with soaring pedal steel, a War On Drugs-y rhythm section, and a hook from Mariel that you'll be humming after one listen.” - Brooklyn Vegan on “Shooting At The Moon”
"...a shimmering pop gem. It’s driving AF and gallops with country flair, but it’s low on twang. And that’s just fine – Buckley sounds very much in charge in her new sonic digs, coupled with the production styling of Marcus Paquin” - Country Queer on “Shooting At The Moon”
Photo Credit : Sebastian Buzzalino // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Tomorrow, Mariel Buckley’s new LP, Everywhere I Used To Be, is available everywhere courtesy of Birthday Cake Records. Today, the celebrated songwriter is following up singles “Driving Around” and “Shooting At The Moon”, which shot up the CBC Music Top 20 Chart, with “Neon Blue”, a track she’s had “in the bag for almost two years,” says Buckley. “It needed some production to give it a lift, and I love where Marcus Paquin (The Weather Station, The Barr Brothers, Arcade Fire, The National, Julia Jacklin) took it. It’s a song about losing everything when you’re living too fast to notice. There’s themes of long distance love and trying to keep it together while apart, over-drinking to feel something and the classic VLT bars I grew up sneaking into.”
On the new video for “Neon Blue”, Buckley says “the tune itself started as a dark but nostalgic take on a couple of my old relationships, and how many of them revolved around drinking or unhealthy habits. When we made the video, I wanted it to be pretty close to the songs' narrative. Because it's a more image-based writing style, there's lots of stylized bar stuff I had envisioned to set the scene.”
“The director Mike Linton and his right-hand-man James Meagher found an incredible bar in the Transcona area of Winnipeg, The Royal George Hotel. Growing up on the prairies, I definitely had a picture of a specific kind of bar room, and this one fit perfectly. Unpretentious, dark, with cheap beers, VLT's, and a pool table.”
WATCH / SHARE “NEON BLUE” HERE
MORE ABOUT EVERYWHERE I USED TO BE
Unapologetically genuine, wry, and soft-hearted - Mariel Buckley has planted her flag firmly as a songwriter who’s in it for the long haul. She aims to find herself squarely on the fringes and exactly where she belongs: singing and writing songs for the underdog. And that’s exactly where her new album, Everywhere I Used to Be, lives.
Everywhere I Used To Be is sonically anchored by the haunting whine of pedal steel, a tastefully weighted, deep groove – rounded out by heavy synth pads and vibrant guitar parts. The resulting collection is a driving, swooning, toe-tapping catharsis; sealed and delivered by Buckley’s signature crooning brand of angst-ridden alt-folk.
LISTEN /SHARE /BUY / STREAM “DRIVING AROUND” HERE
WATCH / SHARE “DRIVING AROUND” (LIVE PERFORMANCE VIDEO) HERE
“When you grow up as the town freak, you get used to hiding who you are to become more palatable for those around you,” she says. “While I've been great at speaking my mind in person, my music has often remained a vague, if not softer representation of my stuff, until now. All I said about my life in direct detail on my last record was that I was ‘kept a secret’ - and I couldn’t go any deeper.
When I wrote this record, l felt myself becoming clearer in the process. I became softer in my personal life and sharper in my songs. I finally saw the person, musician and songwriter I wanna be coming into focus, all together. Mental illness, addiction, bad choices, and abusive relationships have made that journey really fucking long and really difficult. It felt like coming home. Selfishly, this album gave me something I’d been looking for my whole life. I hope to give people a chance to hear themselves in these stories.
WATCH / SHARE “SHOOTING AT THE MOON” HERE
BUY / STREAM “SHOOTING AT THE MOON” HERE
I wrote this album for losers and underdogs. I want every outsider and lost soul to feel seen and safe with these songs. I wrote it for kids who do/did feel underrepresented in the mainstream media, in church, at school or at home. I wrote it for anyone who's ready to make a change, and especially for those who aren't.”
Buckley and Paquin made an intentional move towards contemporary production, and quickly found themselves in a daily rhythm of deconstructing and rebuilding each song to find its full potential. Backed by some of Canada’s finest session musicians, their collective efforts are showcased with abundant heart, and skillful flourishes while respecting the space necessary for the songs to speak. Perhaps her mysterious ambiguity around genre, traditional storytelling, and identity is what gives these new songs such an honest shine.
PRE-SAVE EVERYWHERE I USED TO BE HERE
MORE ABOUT MARIEL BUCKLEY
Born and raised on the prairies in a conservative core, Buckley spent most of her youth playing hockey, getting into trouble and writing it all down. After dabbling in guitar for near a decade, she took up some bar gigs, playing mostly traditional country music. Buckley began writing original music in her early twenties and found a natural comfort in speaking her mind through song. After several years of honing her craft on and off the stage, she began seeing larger support slots – k.d. Lang notably saying: “this kid has a big future.”
Buckley’s first official release, Driving in the Dark (2018), garnered international press and began solidifying her as part of the roots community in North America. With recognition from No Depression, CBC Music, Wide Open Country and PopMatters; she was building momentum quickly. And now after two-years forced hiatus and a new album, she’s ready to continue being a trail in her own right. With a firm grip on the steering wheel and a destination in mind - we’re just happy to be along for the ride.
EVERYWHERE I USED TO BE TRACKLIST
01 Neon Blue
02 Whatever Helps You
03 Going Nowhere
04 Driving Around
05 Hate This Town
06 Love Ain’t Enough
07 Everywhere I Used To Be
08 Shooting At The Moon
09 Hose Named Nothing
10 Let You Down