Buck Meek is Saying “I love you first” with New Record “Mirror”

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Buck Meek – the name may ring a bell as a founding member of the highly successful and Grammy-nominated indie folk band Big Thief. Meek has been Big Thief’s secret weapon, as he has been credited as a writer on each of their 6 studio albums, and his truly unique way of playing the guitar while morphing the sound into Americana folk and upbeat indie. Repetitively, the tracks the Meek works on become mesmerizing to the audience. 

However, Buck Meek, the multi-talented singer-songwriter, began releasing his own music in 2018. With Meek’s upbringing in Texas, he was naturally immersed in folk, blues, Americana, country, and indie rock music. He then attended the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. After moving to New York City following college, he crossed paths with his future wife and bandmate, Adrienne Lenker, who also attended Berklee during the same time. Originally, Meek was playing on the streets of New York City, just trying to make ends meet. It wasn’t until Big Thief’s debut album, Masterpiece (2016), and Capacity (2017) that the band’s popularity started to skyrocket into the indie-folk scene.  

After the couple divorced amicably in 2018, Meek began releasing solo albums, while still working closely with Big Thief. Compared to Big Thief’s indie folk rock sound, Meek’s solo music offers a much softer pace, leaning more towards Americana and traditional folk/country. The Mirror, Meek’s most recent album, changed his typical sound in a way most fans were not expecting. This album is personally vulnerable for Meek, as it contains themes of self-reflection, love, and interpersonal relationships. Songs such as “Ring of Fire” and “Gasoline” are beautiful songs that revolve around the idea of being in love. As for the sound, Meek textured many of his classic Americana folk sounds with electronics, which really sets this album apart from his three previous studio albums (Buck Meek (2018), Two Saviors (2021), and Haunted Mansion (2023)). The upbeat, happier feeling of this album is what truly sets it apart from the rest of his discography. 

Whether it’s a new sound for Meek or just the feeling of The Mirror as an album, it is worth a listen. Buck Meek is currently touring in July and December in North America; I promise it’s a show you won’t want to miss!