Mariel Buckley Drops New Single “Swim Practice” & Announces Upcoming Album – Strange Trip Ahead

by Glenn Sargeant | Aug 7, 2025

Americana singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley shares her new single, “Swim Practice”, her second release of 2025. With this track, Mariel announces her upcoming album – Strange Trip Ahead, out Friday 17th October 2025 via Birthday Cake Records. For this album, Buckley set her sights on Nashville, working with alt-Americana mastermind producer, Jarrad K (Ruston Kelly, Lucie Silvas, Fancy Hagood, Goo Goo Dolls) to bring the album to life.

The nine songs explore the vulnerability of existing in the uncertain – within one’s life, relationships, and career. Mariel notes, “this album has some genre deviations with the signature “sad guy” sauce remaining true. I used to steal my older brother’s CDs in the early 00’s, and found myself pretty deep in the alt-rock of that era. In many ways, this album was my gateway drug to indie rock. Grief, loss, liminal spaces and of course, another song about doing it in the car.”

“Ultimately, this album is one about choices, and accepting the snack that falls when we push the button, I hope you find yourself somewhere in it. Hang on, buddy, the best is yet to come.”

“Swim Practice” finds Buckley venturing into new sonic ground, embracing an emotive indie-rock palette that leans away from her country and Americana roots. Co-written with Winnipeg artist Cassidy Mann, the song dives deep into themes of adolescent shame, secrecy, and queer longing. With swirling textures and a push-pull dynamic that mirrors the emotional turbulence of youth, Buckley crafts a visceral listening experience that feels like floating in uncertainty, suspended one moment, crashing the next.

Sonically, “Swim Practice” is moody, expressive, and intentionally fluid. Chorus-soaked guitars, rippling percussion, and reverb-heavy layers create an atmosphere of both tension and release. “When I wrote it, I knew it felt more pop/rock adjacent than anything else,” Buckley explains. “I wanted the verses to feel like holding your breath underwater and the choruses to crash like raging waves.” The result is confessional, seductive, and cinematic, like sneaking out for a midnight swim. The track pushes Buckley’s sound into exciting new directions while remaining rooted in her signature honesty and lyrical depth.