If it seems like Mariel Buckley has exceptional empathy for misfits and outcasts, it’s because she counts herself among them. Diligently unrefined and somewhat imposing (at least in photos), the younger sister of Calgary-born country artist T. Buckley has bluntly referred to herself as the “town freak.” And this freak has no interest in fitting in.
Buckley’s music, however, is another story. Key moments on her new Everywhere I Used To Be (Birthday Cake) are cut from the same refined Americana cloth as fellow Canadian singer/songwriter Kathleen Edwards’ 2020 comeback LP, Total Freedom. The rest is more along the lines of the atmospheric roots country of Buckley’s 2018 debut, Driving In The Dark.
Producer Marcus Paquin (Arcade Fire, National) certainly had his way with “Neon Blue,” a brooding, quietly epic power ballad with a melody that’s not easy to shake. The acoustic version that debuts here shows the impressive raw ingredients Buckley had to work with before Paquin’s equally impressive studio makeover.
“It 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,” says Buckley of the song.
MAGNET is proud to premiere the video for “Neon Blue” today.
