Today we’d like to introduce you to Brigid Buckley.
Hi Brigid, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
As my mother puts it, I’ve been singing since I could talk and performing since I could walk. Music and a life on stage has always driven my life. I grew up singing in churches, voice recitals, and on my front porch. The dream was always to become a singer. That changed in seventh grade I was in my first musical, The Sound of Music. I decided that would be a much more practical route for my life to take. So that was that. I devoted my life to musical theatre. I did shows nonstop during the school year and summer months all through high school. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Millikin University. After graduation, I headed to Chicago to try my shot at being an actor. Well, the cold days, long nights and sea of actors I believed to be better than me were challenges I wasn’t expecting. My life as an actor just wasn’t working and I missed my life on stage. I missed storytelling. I remembered I had written a song when I was 9, loosely inspired by Lovebug by Jonas Brothers. So passively for months, I tried writing another. And another. And another. Until I had written a few and I was taking on the Open Mic scene. I found a community in Chicago beyond theatre. The Chicago musicians welcomed me into their space, encouraged my artistry, and became the light I needed to carry me through the long winters. They gave me opportunities to open for them and play a few 30 minute sets here or there. I was just a newbie. I had no clue what I was doing or where I was going but I was hooked. I felt like I was unlocking a piece of me that had lived dormant for most of my life. I kept thinking, wow if I stick with this, this could be something. So I decided it was time to get serious and make the move to Nashville. Chicago built me as a songwriter but I knew the people I needed to take my music to the next level were down south. In the two years being here, I can happily say I’ve met the people I was praying for. I have grown into my identity as a storyteller, now incorporating bits of comedy into my sets and lovingly calling my genre: “theatre pop.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Well jeez, I think you can tell from what I just said it has not been easy but it has been the path of least resistance, the path that makes the most sense. I learned from a young age that we can’t control anything really. The plan you have in your head is almost never going to be what you’re given. So I’ve become the queen of pivoting.
It has been a journey to find my sound, one that I’m sure will be ever evolving. Finding what words to use to share my vision when I don’t share a vocabulary is particularly hard. Recently, I’ve met people that understand what I’m about to say before I even say it. I have never been this close to releasing my music. I am shivering with excitement. I can’t wait for people to finally hear what I’ve been working on.
But it’s taken some serious time. I struggle a lot on the music side of things to be completely honest. I know the theatre industry like the back of my hand but the music industry is new to me. Sometimes it feels like walking into the dark, knowing there could be a cliff you could off of at any moment. Other times, it feels like the biggest advantage to not know what rules I should be following. I beat to the sound of my own drum, if you will. There’s a freedom in that. Essentially, my career is a game of trial, error, learning, and trying again. I tell myself: you cannot fail if you are resilient. And resilient I am.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Some people call me the ukulele girl. It is my main instrument. It is my thing, for now. To be quite frank, it was just easier to teach myself than guitar back in the day. I’ve come to love the quirkiness it brings to my music. It lends itself well to the storytelling aspect, giving forefront to the lyrics and vocals. I can’t get off a stage without someone asking if I was a theatre kid. I wear that title with pride. Each time I sing one of my songs I try to breathe new life into it. Living in the moment of the song, acting it out, and hearing what resonates with new people are my biggest joys of being a musical artist. I just love performing live.
I look at songs as a soundtrack to life. A way to feel less alone. In my darkest moments, in my brightest days, I’ve always leaned on music to feel. I write from my own perspective to do the same for people growing up and figuring life out. If I resonate with what I’m saying, there’s got to be at least seven other people on the planet that do to. That’s enough for me. We can feel less lonely together.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
My best friend from college lovingly described me as uncomfortably outgoing. He jokes with me, “you could literally talk to a squirrel.” I just love people! I love meeting people!! Of course you can follow me on instagram (brigid.buckley) and subscribe to my YouTube channel (youtube.com/brigidbuckleymusic), but the best way to get into touch is to come on out to a show!! I wanna say hi! I wanna get to know the people and I want the people to get to know me!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brigid.buckley/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brigidbuckleymusic
