Denver, Colorado-based country singer-songwriter Buckstein has just released a new single entitled “MeXico.” In the course of his travels, Buckstein found that every region of Mexico has a different energy, vibe, music, and art, but he really appreciated the passion that everyone he met there shared.
“When my producer, Mr. E, first approached me with the drum rhythm, I got immediate visions of this crazy story about a guy who’s a nobody back home but a legend down south,” says Buckstein. “Rapid fire lyrics with hard rhymes.” Buckstein took that story and ran with it, creating a song that’s part stadium chant, part country storytelling cloaked in a sort of rap-style delivery; dirty rock guitars make the song sound huge and anthemic. It’s so catchy and will stick with you after just one listen like the best songs do. We caught up with Buckstein recently to get more information about this amazing new song and to learn what else he’s working on.
Hi, Buckstein! You have a terrific new single out in July called “MeXico.” What inspired this song? What is it about?
It’s like a Quentin Tarantino or Robert Rodriguez fever dream, most likely spawned from movies I used to watch as a teenager. This is one of those instances where the music really influenced the lyrics. My producer, Mr. E, brought me the music, and that sparked the vibe and subject matter for me as a writer.
How did this song come together, from a writing perspective?
The music being mostly crafted ahead of time played a major role. I actually had a completely different chorus written until the “chant” chorus came to us, which was reminiscent of the soccer stadiums in Mexico. When I first heard the grungy rock style of the instrumentation, it sounded to me like classic scenes of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. From there, I just sought out hard rhymes with the “O” sound in the word “Mexico.”
What was it like recording this song? What was the vibe in the studio, and how did this song, in particular, come to fruition in the studio?
Mr. E likes to have a lot of stuff fully formed before we start tracking vocals. By the time I step up to the mic, I know a lot about where the finished product is heading, which I like. We had a lot of fun with this one. It was a jam right from the start. I remember us sitting in a St. Hubert restaurant in Montreal and coming up with the “strumming my banjo” line. We had a good laugh at that one.
What do you hope this song’s message is to those who listen to it?
Party too hard and you’ll end up chasing highs you can never catch. Know when to say when.
Since you started out, how has your songwriting changed over time — both musically and lyrically? Do different things inspire you now? Where do you tend to get your biggest inspiration from these days?
I’d like to think I’ve gotten better at it; more creative and cleaned things up a bit. When you start out, you put your most basic ideas on paper. It’s raw. Some people’s raw works right from the start. Some of us need practice to tighten the screws. 😉 I’ve always drawn from a mix of fact and fiction. Most songs are much more fiction than fact.
Songwriting can be a really personal endeavor. Is it tough to share that stuff that usually might be private if you weren’t writing a song about it? Does unveiling a song publicly, when you release a single, make you anxious or is it cathartic to have the song out there for others to hear it?
It can be VERY tough to share something personal in a song. The stakes are a lot higher when you’re putting out something from the heart. I like telling stories more than anything. Occasionally, those stories will be about my own life, but it’s more rare for me. If you’re gonna put out something raw and true you better be good with singing it for the rest of your life. Choose your topics wisely.
It’s not uncommon for an artist or band to be working on something new while promoting a music release. Do you have anything in the pipeline to follow this single? What’s next from Buckstein?
Hell yeah! Got the next five tunes in the editing room right now. I’ve made a lot of music a lot of different ways, but this next stuff is my FIRST EVER Nashville studio album. Got an amazing producer and band, and I was so pumped up when I left the studio. We just finished tracking a couple weeks ago. I’m on the edge of my seat trying to be patient to hear the first round of edits.
Got any tour plans? Where can fans see you on the road?
Lots of shows around Colorado this summer! And even one or two outside the state. You can find all public dates at bucksteinmusic.com.
Website & Social Media Links:
Website: https://www.bucksteinmusic.com/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/thebuckstein
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bucksteinmusic
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bucksteinmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/buckstein
