Mariel Buckley adds Scandinavian dates to her April tour

"Strange Trip Ahead” is Mariel Buckley’s third studio album, after her 2018 debut “Driving in the Dark” and 2022’s “Everywhere I Used to Be”. It is no great departure from these two, but that’s okay, as it is full of good songs with great “earworm” melodies and catchy choruses.

The music can be described as indie-alt-country, which is a bit like later Lilly Hiatt albums, but lighter and less raunchy. The rock in it is tempered by the electric guitar being pushed back a little in the mix, whether it is riffing or being played as a lead. You can’t help but be reminded of eighties and nineties pop, but with no synthesisers and with a country feel, partly coming from the gentle steel guitar added. The music complements Buckley’s vocals very well to give a sound that is just good to listen to. Buckley’s voice isn’t as strident as Hiatt’s, for example, but sounds relaxed- it is not at all overblown. As a result, it makes you feel relaxed, and so is also a pleasure to listen to.

“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. When you grow up as the town freak, you get used to hiding who you are to become more palatable for those around you. 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.”

Up next, more trailblazing as one of this generation’s brightest shining storytellers will no doubt be a feast for your ears and emotions. Go see her when she tours Europe this April:

16/04: Leiden, NL - Q-Bus
17/04: Arnhem, NL - Luxor Live
18/04: Eindhoven, NL - Rozenknopje
19/04: Groningen, NL - A Theater
20/04: Norderstedt, DE - Music Star
21/04: Malmö, SWE - Medley
22/04: Vadstena, SWE - Kulturhuset
23/04: Vemdalen, SWE - Hedningen
24/04: Vemdalen, SWE - Hedningen
25/04: Piteå, SWE - Studio Acusticum
26/04: Östersund, SWE - Jazzköket
27/04: Ljusdal, SWE - Holännapaviljongen
28/04: Uppsala, SWE - Klubb Uffe
29/04: Stockholm, SWE - Patricia Live
01/05: Mariefred, SWE - Rootsy Mariefred
02/05: Kristianstad, SWE - Kulturkvarteret
05/05: Hultsfred, SWE - Hotell Hulingen Pub
06/05: Uddevalla, SWE - Folkets Hus
08/05: Falkenberg, SWE - Rootsy Falkenberg
09/05: Copenhagen, DK - Beta
10/05: Venlo, NL - Down By The River