Ebony Buckle- Ebony is a singer/songwriter/actor in London with a flair for the dramatic and an imaginary best friend called Susan the Raptor.
Interview conducted May 28, 2020
By Dan Locke
Her latest single “Ghost” details the heart-wrenching experience that Buckle and her English husband Nick endured during their fight to renew her visa after their marriage. Despite her specific experience, Ghost is a universal song of love, loss, commitment and pain of feeling utterly helpless. “Ghost” was written over Skype between her and her newly-wed husband, as they were kept apart for nearly two years. It was a time in their lives when normality was turned upside down, and they were put in limbo.
What is your upbringing?
I started learning music in school and I played the piano and violin from about 7. I always sang, even as a baby and I started having lessons when I was 12. I have always made up songs and poems for as long as I can remember! My brother and friends and I used to put-on full-scale productions for our parents. The poor things had to sit through 4 hours of improvised storytelling, complete with full set and costumes. So, I guess I’m just doing that on a larger scale now 😉
How did you meet your husband?
I was in a bar and he was playing on stage in his band Ocasan. I pointed at him and my friend Adam introduced us. There’s my advice to everyone…point at what you want 😉
How was the wedding?
It was wonderful. Just a magical day filled with people that we love. We actually had our official day in the UK, and then a separate party in Australia for everyone who couldn’t come to England. So, we had 2 days of music and dancing and love.
What country did you record “So In Love” with Nick (2016)?
We recorded that in London in our house!
So, the song “Ghost” is based on the fight that you and your husband went through to get you to London. And what you two had to endure trying to renew your visa after the marriage. So how was it to write the song over Skype? The title tells it all Ghost (like a ghost writer of a book).
I am sure anyone in a long-distance relationship can relate to feeling like the other person isn’t real. It gets harder to chat on the phone, especially when there isn’t really an end in sight. We were stuck in limbo with very little hope. We had months where we would be waiting for a letter from the Home Office with a court date or a decision. To be honest I shut down creatively for a really long time and so writing this felt like I was able to express myself again. It wasn’t just my relationship that was on hold, it was my whole life. All of the things I was working towards were stopped and I had very little control over what I could do.
I am sure it was a depressing time. But think about what it would be like if you were going through the visa process during the Covid-19?
Given how unorganized and inhumane the immigration system is normally, I can’t imagine how bad it is with a global pandemic in the mix.
What are your thoughts about streaming music?
I think it’s wonderful, we have music at our fingertips and so many ways to discover new artists. However, I think there need to be some changes in the way artists are paid for streaming.
Digital vs. vinyl?
Both! I LOVE vinyl and hope to have my first album printed on vinyl next year. But I also love digital…there is so much music! I think vinyl has become something you collect and keep as a memento of your favorite music.
You did a song at the Sofar Sounds right before the lockdown. How did you hear about the lockdown?
We did a Sofar Sounds show right before Lockdown. I think it was our last live performance and it was so much fun. I don’t think the lockdown just happened suddenly. It was more of a gradual process. But I think the moment the lockdown really dawned on me was when the entire West End Theatre district shut down one evening.
How do you feel the Covid-19 virus going to affect the music business in the future?
I think live music is going to change and I feel really sad for the music venues who are fighting so hard to stay afloat. It has definitely made me look at the way I make music and perform. We are very lucky that we have our own studio and can make music now. I know that isn’t the case for everyone.
What have you been doing with your self-quarantine?
I have been so busy writing music and recording it and releasing Ghost. It has kept me going and mostly stopped me from spiraling. I have joined an incredible group of female musicians and we meet twice a week and have presentations from industry people and generally support each other. it has been very motivating and inspiring. And it’s probably something that would not have happened if we hadn’t been in this situation.
Have you discovered or rediscovered any new hobbies?
I have discovered gardening! I decided to grow vegetables and it has become a bit of an obsession. I have carrots and potatoes and beetroot and spinach and peas and please stop me if I am boring you!
Lots of people are doing nightly concerts over either YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. You are doing live shows at the Lounge to raise money for different causes. How is it going? Didn’t you start this over a year ago?
I use a platform called Patreon which is where people subscribe to me monthly and within Patreon, I do live show and share new music and poetry and just general thoughts! It has been a wonderful way to connect to the people who support my music. So, after lockdown we decided to start doing public livestreams for everyone. We use YouTube and our last show is still available to watch online. We raised money for War Child.
Our next show is on the 20th of June and we are working with Choose Love to fundraise for them. I really love live streaming on YouTube. We have a beautiful community of people who watch and we get to chat and I get to wear fancy outfits and pretend I am on stage.
Do you think it will be possible to make a living doing concerts this way?
It’s definitely something for now. And I think it has allowed musicians to reach audiences they wouldn’t normally be able to due to location. I have just set up my tip jar and I know many musicians are doing this. I think it will evolve and develop as time goes on and we adapt to this new way of working.
What about Holographic concerts in our living room?
Yes, please if you show me how I would love to become a hologram!
How do you see yourself in the next five years?
My aim is to be as independent with my music as possible. I want to create a world around my music for people to join and be a part of. I am using Patreon to do this… www.patreon.com/ebonybuckle and we are in the process of recording our first album. So, we have many things on the horizon!
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