Strange Trip Ahead [CD]

Mariel Buckley's Strange Trip Ahead is the much-anticipated follow-up to her Polaris-nominated Everywhere I Used to Be. The record finds Buckley leaning further into alt-Americana and indie rock, with jangly acoustic textures, gritty pedal steel, and her signature melancholy tone. Lead single "Vending Machines," produced by Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Wild Rivers), introduces this new chapter with cinematic detail and swaying rhythm, capturing the disorientation of life in transition with striking honesty. Buckley's reputation as a sharp, vulnerable storyteller continues to grow, backed by press support from No Depression, Bandcamp Editorial, CBC, Brooklyn Vegan, and The Line of Best Fit. With over 2 million streams and consistent rotation on CBC and Sirius XM, she's earned a loyal audience across the Americana, folk, and alt-country scenes. Her touring history includes support slots for Orville Peck, The Bros. Landreth, and k.d. lang, and appearances at SXSW, AmericanaFest, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival, solidifying her place in the modern roots landscape. Strange Trip Ahead is Buckley at her boldest - raw, real, and unafraid to blur genre lines. From the pedal steel hook of "Vending Machines" to the heavy-hitting album closer "Anvil," her grounded voice and off-centre charm bring a fresh energy to contemporary Americana. It's a compelling step forward from a songwriter who's quietly become one of the most respected voices in Canadian roots music.