The Buckleys (Sarah, Molly, and Lachlan) are a three-piece hippie/pop/country sibling band from Byron Bay, Australia, who, as American Songwriter says, “are so cool and authentic that the world has no choice but to sit up and take notice.”
The Buckleys’ dad, Michael W. Buckley, is a renowned guitarist in Australia. His bands regularly rehearsed in the house when the siblings were growing up.
Molly recalls, “There were literally instruments in every corner of the house. We very naturally picked them up and started playing them together. It’s what the family did.”
Lachlan remembers going to his dad’s shows as a kid and “falling asleep on stage as he was playing.”
The siblings were always playing together, and about 10 years ago they attended the famed Tamworth Country Music Festival, where they busked along the street. They didn’t know it then, but that automatically entered them into the festival’s “busking competition.” Sarah, the oldest was just 12 while Molly and Lachlan were even younger.
They got a call that out of the hundreds of buskers at the show, they were included in the top 10. They got asked to play on the main stage at Tamworth, which was the biggest stage they had ever been on at that time.
“It was really cool to be on the big stage. We got the bug for it and went on from there. Now, here we are!” Sarah exclaims.
The Buckleys were signed to Petrol Records in 2019 alongside labelmates and international 1980s hitmakers INXS.
In 2020, the young trio released their first international single, “Money,” the day everything shut down in Australia. They managed to work around it and released their debut album, Daydream, whose title track (released in 2019) catapulted The Buckleys into the limelight, scoring a #1 single on Australian Country radio. The songs “Breathe,” and “I’m Comin’ for Ya (Love)” charted as well.
Sarah shares, “It was such a dream come true – even though we didn’t get to tour and go on the road, it was still really great to put something out into the world in a time when people needed a bit of happiness, spark, and creativity.”
As Petrol Records’ Chris Murphy states, “Sarah Buckley will be one of the best songwriters to come out of Australia. Ever!”
Following the release of their stunning single and music video for “Oops I Love You,” The Buckleys have now released their newest EP, Take It as It Comes, whose five songs represent songwriting input from all three members. Injecting a heavy dose of ’70s old-school AM radio flair to their infectious pop-country sound like they did on their earlier releases, Take It as It Comes feels, as lead vocalist and bassist Sarah describes, “like a really natural evolution for us and we’re really excited for people to hear it.”
The EP’s five songs take the indie band into new territory, expanding the scope of their “hippie country” debut and adding a healthy dose of meticulously crafted pop that comes from the natural chemistry of the sibling band.
And while The Buckleys’ music has more of a modern pop-country feel, their songwriting is clever and fresh, while the talent they display is next-level. As they have grown and their music has evolved, Take It as It Comes is equal to or even more compelling than their debut record, Daydream.
Having been raised with a deluge of music, the trio is familiar with all genres. They grew up listening to traditional country, new country, blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and swing, to name a few.
When asked who influenced them, Sarah mentioned Freddie Mercury and Patsy Cline, while Molly favored Blondie and ELO. Lachlan lists the Allman Brothers Band and Jimi Hendrix as ones who inspired him.
Sarah explains, “I feel like all of those influences really pour into the music we create and hopefully has that Buckley soul to it.”
Molly adds, “We never think about genres when we write. It’s about good music. If you enjoy it, why does it matter?”
Even though they play mostly in Australia, The Buckleys record all their music in Nashville. Their producer, Chuck Carlson, resides there.
“We’ve been going there since I was 16 and really learned our chops there and evolved as songwriters,” Sarah reports.
When listening to songs like the title track, “Take It as It Comes,” and “What You Gonna Do About It” it’s hard to believe that The Buckleys are not from my generation and are nearly young enough to be my grandchildren.
Their version of hippie/pop/country music is next-level. It’s got teeth, it’s got grit, it’s got substance. For those who are dismayed with the sound of modern country, give a listen to The Buckleys. They have raised the bar for the stale pop/country music scene. Nashville peeps, you’ve got to step it up. The Buckleys are the new standard.
You can follow The Buckleys on their website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and all streaming platforms.
– – – – – –
Bethany Bowman is a freelance entertainment writer. You can follow her blog, Instagram, and Twitter.
