Biography

Brant Buckley is a Berklee College of Music graduate with a Bachelor of Music in Songwriting. Born outside of Chicago (Hinsdale), he lived in Costa Rica and spent most of his life in Philadelphia. East Coast Folk Music and the coffeehouse scene inspired his early sound: James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Kenn Kweder, and Nick Drake.

In 2012, Buckley released his first album, My Life, which was featured in The Times of India (India’s CNN.) In 2015, he released Chicago Summer, a 3 song E.P. His song Shine has over 55,000 YouTube plays. On April 1st, 2021, he released his single Don’t Shoot Your Blues Away getting radio airplay on Uncle Buc Plays The Blues Show. On May 11th 2021, he released his second full length album: Times Strange. His song Nerve Damage Blues was featured on The Monster Blues Show and Mystical Muddy Man on Visual FM Serious Radio.

In 2024, Brant released Chicago Blues History: Preserving The Past, a #1 Amazon Hot New Release Blues Book. He was featured and interviewed on Hambone’s Blues Party 90.9 WDCB Radio. In addition, Brant has co-written songs with his Blues mentor Jesse Graves: Jookin and Shine Em Up Johnny. He released Jesse Graves’ self-written Eulogy, The Cleansing of My Soul.

‍Buckley first met Bluesman Jesse Graves (1949 – 2023) in 2013. Graves was Philadelphia’s premier Bluesman during the 1970’s and played with Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt, Hound Dog Taylor, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, and Tom Waits. Jesse learned from Reverend Gary Davis and passed on Blues and Native American Spirituality to Brant. In 2014, inspired by Jesse, Brant moved to Chicago to learn more about the Blues. Working as a tennis pro, Brant experienced The Blues for himself after having a tennis injury. The pain taught him what Blues are all about.

Brant is a certified USPTA tennis professional and has been practicing meditation (Kriya Yoga) and energetic healing for over 13 years. As a contributing author for The American Blues Scene, Brant has over 100 published interviews/reviews. He’s interviewed George Thorogood, Grammy winner Dom Flemons, Otis Taylor, Bobby Rush, John Hammond, John Primer, Dick Waterman, and Walter Trout.