Somewhere between discussing artificial intelligence and bonding over Sudoku, my conversation with Madds Buckley became about how much meaning she can fit into a song. A dating-app mishap becomes a story. A metaphor becomes a puzzle. And an album about technology becomes an opportunity to think about being human. Ahead of A Simple Binary and a Complex Phrase, out October 16, I spoke with Buckley about her writing process, digital burnout, and her upcoming November 5 show at New York’s Racket. Between thoughtful answers and funny tangents, one thing became clear: she wants listeners to look a little closer. A Storyteller First What would you want someone discovering your music to know about you? “I think, honestly, the most important thing that I would love for people to know is that I kind of view myself as a storyteller first and foremost.” Buckley explained that personal experiences influence her writing, but the voice in a song isn’t necessarily hers. “My goal, first and foremost, is to make a story,” she said. That distinction matters on the new album, where she explores the relationship between people and technology through different perspectives. “The album itself is built upon six sets of, like, mirror tracks, so each song has a partner. One from the human side, one from the technology side.” For anyone who loves connecting the dots across an album, consider this your invitation. Computer Code Meets “I Love You” What does the album title mean, and how did you land on it? The title comes from “Coded Ways,” a song inspired by a social media post about someone using ChatGPT to flirt on a dating app. A copying mistake revealed that the messages were generated, leaving Buckley imagining the recipient’s reaction. “Does that mean the chatbot was flirting with me?” That question became a song exploring computer language alongside the emotional complexity of “I love you.” Three familiar words can mean different things to different people, making their apparent simplicity deceptive. Buckley’s love of metaphor also has a surprisingly relatable explanation. “EVERYTHING is Sudoku when you think about it!” As a Sudoku lover myself, I understood immediately. She enjoys the challenge of making the pieces fit, and her songs give listeners their own puzzles to work through. Being Human Requires Rest When did technology start feeling more exhausting than helpful? Buckley connected the question to social media demands and a period when basic needs felt frustrating. Eating, sleeping, and caring for herself had begun to feel like chores. “I wish I could just plug in. That’s it.” She was equally honest about the pressure to constantly post. “I commend every single artist that can post every day; I physically can’t do that. I’ve tried; it’s ended horribly for me.” For students balancing school, work, and the feeling that they should always be doing more, that exhaustion may sound familiar. “We’re not built to have information put in our heads 24-7.” If you could leave a handwritten note for someone listening alone in their bedroom, what would it say? “To be human is to live.” It was one of the simplest answers of our conversation, and one that stayed with me. From the Screen to the Stage Buckley hopes to bring the album’s digital atmosphere on tour through possible CRT televisions and colored lighting. Her NYC return also offers a chance to recover from greeting her first New York audience with “Hello, Chicago.” “I need to redeem myself.” Beyond that funny memory, she spoke warmly about sharing music with an audience. “You get in a room full of people who all like the same music and are all enjoying it together. There is just something otherworldly about it.” What do you hope people take away from your shows? “Truly, one of my biggest goals is like, I just want to inspire somebody else.” Whether listeners leave feeling lighter or ready to create, Buckley hopes that connection leads somewhere. “I want more art in the world; we[bleeping] need it.”
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St. John's chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.