Conceptual pop artist Ebony Buckle has released ‘Fall Behind,’ the first single from her second album, ‘Hearts Get Started.’ Following her acclaimed debut, ‘Disco Lasers,’ this new track continues her captivating storytelling, exploring themes of self-expression and liberation from societal constraints. Alongside the track is the song’s video, featuring drag queen Martoya Jackson, celebrating embracing one’s true self.
 Originally from Townsville, Australia, and now based in London, Buckle performs with her husband, Nick Burns. Her music reflects human experiences, with her debut album praised for its vibrant and imaginative approach. We caught up with Ebony to find out more!
Your new single ‘Fall Behind’ is the first chapter of your upcoming album, ‘Hearts Get Started.’ Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this track and how it sets the tone for the rest of the album?
Fall Behind is one of the first songs I wrote when I was starting to play my own music in London. It’s an invitation really, to step away from the things that are making you miserable and to go towards the things that feel more authentic to you. I wanted to start the album with this song, to invite listeners to let themselves out in all their glory and to come on this next adventure with me, wherever it might take us.
In ‘Fall Behind,’ you emphasise the importance of embracing one’s true self and rejecting societal labels. How has this message been a part of your own journey as an artist, especially transitioning from your debut album ‘Disco Lasers’ to ‘Hearts Get Started’?
I like to think of this new album as the prequel to Disco Lasers. While Disco Lasers is set in a parallel dimension and is very spacey and ethereal, Hearts Get Started feels more grounded to me. It’s all the songs and stories that allowed me to start expressing myself through music. I come from a classical and musical theatre background and never quite felt like I fit in. I was always too tall for parts or my voice was too operatic. It felt like my creativity was locked behind a door that I couldn’t get to. When I started playing my own music with my partner Nick Burns, it was a real moment where I felt like I could explain myself to the world and most importantly, that I had control over my own creativity.This is also reinforced by the incredible community I have on Patreon of people who support my creativity fully and have enabled me to free myself of the expectations that are often put on artists. I wanted to share this feeling with everyone because I think most people I know are carrying so many things inside their hearts!
You collaborated with drag queen and performance artist Martoya Jackson for the ‘Fall Behind’ music video. How did this collaboration come about, and what impact do you hope it will have on the song’s message of self-expression and liberation?
I know Roymata Holmes AKA Martoya Jackson from our home town, Townsville. We were both in the arts scene there growing up and when I was thinking about the concept for the music video, I thought immediately of Roymata. I have always been so inspired by the way that Roymata is able to express all of his identities and embrace every part of himself. He moves between his masculine and feminine energies so fluidly and gracefully. If there is anyone I know who has found a way to be entirely themselves, it is Roymata. He is a very generous and creative performer and I’m so lucky to have collaborated with him on this project.Â
‘Fall Behind’ is described as a musical diary entry sharing life-defining moments. Can you share a moment or experience that particularly influenced the creation of this song?
When I wrote this song, I was doing a lot of office temping between acting jobs and auditions. While I’m so grateful for the work I had because it paid my bills, it was a little soul destroying. I used to sit at the front desk of some corporate broker firm answering phones and ordering pens and then writing poems in my gmail account to turn into songs when I got home.
Fall Behind starts with a chant as I wanted it to express the feeling of monotony and being trapped in a loop that I was experiencing. I was watching other people around me struggle to express themselves and almost shut themselves down in order to be perceived as being “correct”. That’s why, there are two voices in Fall Behind…the darker more oppressive voice and the lighter, gentler one, inviting you to let go, fall behind, embrace uncertainty and let yourself out.
With your roots in Townsville, Australia, and now based in London, how have your diverse experiences and environments influenced your musical style and the storytelling in your new album?
I grew up in a fairly rural city by the sea. It was a pretty magical childhood full of fairytales and myths and legends and I had a very vivid imagination and wonderful people around me. I still have that imagination, even though being an adult can often bring me back down to earth. And I have come to terms with the fact that I will always be torn between two places. There is the land I grew up on and the home I have now and mostly I am torn between all the people that I love. Moving to London was the most wonderful eye-opening experience. It’s so huge and full of people from everywhere and I loved being just another part of that.
I like to think of each song in this album as moments in time that I have captured. There are inner monsters, there are childhood memories, there is joy and heartache and deep homesickness and nostalgia and London foxes looking at stars and getting lost on the underground and drinking too much and getting sober. It’s a real mix of experiences that, while they are unique to me,I hope will also resonate with others in some way.