Mariel Buckley Released Third Studio Album, Strange Trip Ahead

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Mariel Buckley’s bold new album Strange Trip Ahead fuses raw alt-Americana with indie-rock fire, tackles love, loss, and life’s heaviest choices head-on, and hits the road with a massive Canadian tour supporting Matt Andersen.

Strange Trip Ahead

Acclaimed Canadian Americana singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley has released her third studio album, Strange Trip Ahead, via Birthday Cake Records. Following the critical success of her 2022 Polaris Prize-longlisted album Everywhere I Used to Be, the new record marks a bold evolution, blending alt-Americana with indie-rock edges and deeply personal confessional songwriting.

The emotional heart of the album is the standout track “Anvil,” a meticulously crafted song co-written with Nashville songwriter Robby Hecht. Featuring Mariel’s brother T. Buckley on mandolin and background vocals, the song confronts the heavy, life-altering decision of whether or not to have children—particularly through the lens of being a woman and a queer person. Built on a tense pedal-steel foundation and a powerful rhythm section, “Anvil” simmers with the gravity of love, partnership, and inevitability.

Produced by Jarrad K (known for work with Ruston Kelly, Lucie Silvas, and the Goo Goo Dolls), Strange Trip Ahead spans nine introspective tracks that wrestle with uncertainty, grief, liminal spaces, and the exhausting pursuit of meaning through art. While the record ventures into jangly indie-rock territory—an influence Buckley traces back to raiding her older brother’s early-2000s CD collection—her signature raw emotional honesty and sharp storytelling remain firmly intact.

Key Singles Leading the Way

Before the full release, Buckley shared three singles that previewed the album’s expanded sound:

• “Vending Machines” (May 14) – A hypnotic meditation on burnout and the search for belonging, paired with a noir-style video reflecting the quiet loneliness of life on the road.
• “Swim Practice” (August 6) – Co-written with Cassidy Mann, this moody track dives into queer longing, teenage secrecy, and self-discovery.
• “Nashville Now” (September 17) – A restrained yet devastating portrait of self-sabotage and existential dread.

Strange Trip Ahead Tracklist

1. Vending Machines
2. Anvil
3. Swim Practice
4. Sunflowers
5. Headroom
6. Sick of Myself
7. Nashville Now
8. Somewhere Else
9. Lucky

Extensive Canadian Tour Supporting Matt Andersen

Buckley will hit the road across Canada in early 2025 supporting acclaimed East Coast artist Matt Andersen. The tour launches January 24 in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, and wraps March 2 in Victoria, British Columbia, hitting major theatres from Massey Hall in Toronto to the Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg.

Upcoming Tour Dates

Tickets available here

• Jan 24 – Glace Bay, NS – Savoy Theatre *
• Jan 27/28 – Fredericton, NB – The Playhouse *
• Jan 29 – Charlottetown, PE – Confederation Centre of the Arts *
• Jan 30 – Saint John, NB – Imperial Theatre *
• Jan 31 – Moncton, NB – Casino New Brunswick *
• Feb 4 – Pictou, NS – DeCoste Performing Arts Centre *
• Feb 5/6/7 – Halifax, NS – Lighthouse Arts Centre *
• Feb 11 – Kingston, ON – Grand Theatre *
• Feb 12 – Sherbrooke, QC – Théâtre Granada *
• Feb 13 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda *
• Feb 14 – Ottawa, ON – Southam Hall *
• Feb 15 – Peterborough, ON – Showplace Performance Centre *
• Feb 17 – Hamilton, ON – The Music Hall *
• Feb 18 – Sarnia, ON – Imperial Theatre *
• Feb 19 – Kitchener, ON – Centre in the Square *
• Feb 20 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall *
• Feb 23 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre *
• Feb 24 – Saskatoon, SK – TCU Place *
• Feb 25 – Calgary, AB – Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium *
• Feb 26 – Edmonton, AB – Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium *
• Feb 28 – Kelowna, BC – Kelowna Community Theatre *
• Mar 1 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre *
• Mar 2 – Victoria, BC – Royal Theatre *
• June 26 – Pendleton, OR – Jackalope Jamboree

*Supporting Matt Andersen

A spring 2026 tour of Scandinavia will be announced soon.

Mariel Buckley

With her fearless spirit and distinctive blend of angst-driven alt-folk and gut-punch honesty, Mariel Buckley has established herself as a songwriter for the underdogs. Her previous albums—2022’s Everywhere I Used to Be (Polaris Prize longlist) and 2018’s Driving in the Dark—earned widespread praise from Brooklyn Vegan, CBC Music, and SiriusXM. She has toured extensively across Canada, the US, and Europe, sharing stages with Orville Peck, k.d. lang, The Bros. Landreth, and Frazey Ford.

Strange Trip Ahead is available now on all platforms.

Find more from Mariel Buckley now:

Tickets available here

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