A beguiling vocalist with a storytelling approach to songwriting, Sarah Buckley captured an immediate audience with the release of her debut single ‘You’ve Got Me’. With a national TV performance, national airplay (1.3 million radio impressions), festival appearances and growing industry interest, it was no surprise when she scooped a nomination of Best Newcomer by Pure M magazine, and was listed as a One To Watch by legendary venue Whelans.
“Sarah Buckley’s debut single is a beautifully rendered acoustic love song that could easily have been penned by Dolores O Riordan”
Hot Press Magazine
“Hauntingly beautiful from Cork singer songwriter" - Mathieu Norry (RTÉ Radio 1)
Hailing from Cork, and describing herself as an ‘indie folk singer songwriter’, Sarah built on this early success by collaborating and recording with some of Ireland’s leading music producers, Karl Odlum (David Kitt, Gemma Hayes), Darragh Nolan (Ailbhe Reddy) & Richey McCourt (LAOISE, Will Young) over the past year. The results of this will be released as two sister EPs before the end of the year. Balancing themes of nature & mysticism, with relatable and razor sharp lyrics, the collections allow Sarah’s infectious and evocative vocal style to shine through.
A relative newcomer to playing & songwriting, Sarah’s story is not the often told tale of the 5 year old with a hairbrush for a mic and a lifelong dream. Music came later in Sarah’s life, and that subtle difference stands her apart from many of her fellow artists. This is an adventure undertaken by a woman who found her voice in life first, before bringing it to song.
Inspired by the world class lyricism of Alex Turner, the effortless hooks of Taylor Swift- and the uncompromising authenticity of Julia Jacklin – Sarah manages to avoid the trap of imitating her heroes, but instead channels their influence into something rare and immediately compelling.
Bewitching & seductive, Sarah’s lyrics marry the everyday (“running in a hoop to get your story straight, then we stop and have a pint and of course I think you’re great”) with the cosmos (“I’ve been hunting round this world for a daily dose of joy”). Here is a songwriter who can paint vivid landscapes with her lyrics, but who never loses sight of allowing the listener to relate to and connect with her as she brings them through each song.
With industry support ranging from a residency with Tommy McLaughlin (Villlagers, SOAK), and Rocky O’Reilly (Gary Lightbody) to support slots around the country thus far, it is no great surprise that Sarah’s music has already started to earn domestic and international attention, with two of her compositions becoming semi-finalists in the International Songwriting Competition.
Whilst the bulk of Sarah’s audience has been grown on home turf, there has been an ever increasing uptick in Sarah’s listeners & audience from beyond Ireland – with USA and European fans gravitating towards her distinctive voice & enchanting melodies. With Irish live dates & a European tour in the works to support the forthcoming EP releases, music fans will experience the sublime performance that is one woman and her guitar – and her storybook of songs.
In an industry that stacks the odds higher for female artists, through sheer talent and individualism Sarah Buckley is positioned to become everybody’s new favourite singer songwriter.
