Allie Crow Buckley's music features deep bass synth, ethereal melodies and strong, driving rhythms. She will open for Lord Huron on June 4 at Hayden Homes Amphitheater. Buckley's newest album, "Utopian Fantasy," was released May 19. It's flowy yet strong. It's centering yet transporting. It's light yet heavy.
"This record has 10 tracks, but it's very much one body of work," Buckley said. "I tried to make it like a good book, or a novel, or a play, where you have a real arc of the story and momentum throughout."
The album's lyrics, sound and aesthetic reflect her time spent in the English countryside during the writing process, uniting fantasy and self-reflection.
"I was sequestered in the woods for some weeks on my own," Buckley told the Source Weekly. "I walked through the woods every day, and I was really inspired by those landscapes and being able to listen to my internal world. That's where the inspiration from the record comes from, also from various myths and things."
Her writing process sometimes starts with a poem. Sometimes it starts with a thought from her notebook. Sometimes it starts with a hum. But it all comes naturally. On tour, Buckley and her three-piece band will collaborate for unique, one-of-a-kind performances.
"I love performing live; it's one of my favorite parts of being an artist, because it's just a transmission between you and whoever is at the show," Buckley said. "It's such an ancient art — live performance. So, getting to do that is so wonderful."
Buckley's creative spirit shines not only in her music but also in her hobbies. She's a painter, a dancer and reads many books about mythology and history (which reflects in her records). Buckley said she is looking forward to performing in Bend and experiencing the Central Oregon nature.