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Aug 17, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by Laura Partain

This fall, Eleanor Buckland, one-third of the Boston folk trio Lula Wiles, is sharing her full-length solo debut, You Don’t Have To Know. On her latest effort, she’s departing from her group’s traditional acoustic folk sound and making her first foray into the world of indie rock. She debuted the new sound last month with her lead single, “Don’t Look Down,” and today she’s back with the follow-up, “Static,” premiering early with Under the Radar.

Restless driving rhythms and smoky guitar licks make their way to the forefront on, “Static,” introducing an anxious and insistent side to Buckland’s music. Yet, while Buckland’s latest work steps away from acoustic stylings, there are still hints of plaintive folk beauty and contemplative personal songwriting woven into the track. Celestial harmonies add a stark beauty to the track, all while Buckland finds herself searching for hope and meaning, but drowned out by the noise of anxiety一“Listen for a signal, am I coming in clear through the constant noise?/If they don’t play it on the radio it doesn’t mean I gotta turn it down /I can’t hear myself through the echoing doubt/Surrendering to the static, everytime it drowns me out.”

Buckland says of the track, “I’m lucky to have two very cool friends kids in my life, aged 11 and 13, who partly inspired this song with their fearlessness in being their true selves. I often feel that I lose myself in the noise and static of anxiety. These kids inspire me to be free and to climb out of that darkness. In the studio, we wanted this song to have reckless momentum, as is often the case with anxiety, so we let the electric guitar and Wurlitzer drive that intensity of sound.” Within that intensity lies the magic of “Static,” as Buckland explores new dimensions to her music and finding untold beauties within.

Listen to the song below, out everywhere on August 20th. You can pre-save the single here and watch for You Don’t Have To Know, out on October 29th.