Brant Buckley’s Nerve Damage Blues

After a career-threatening injury on the tennis court, he's playing a live-streamed set on The Bunker. It is a weekly high-quality live video streaming of original singer-songwriters and bands from Chicago and surrounding areas. Shows air every Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Central time. Multicam presentation with studio-quality audio in a personal relaxed atmosphere. 

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About the artist

Brant Buckley is a graduate of Berklee College of Music with a Bachelor of Music in Songwriting. He was born outside of Chicago (Hinsdale) and has lived in Costa Rica but 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. Last 2012, Buckley independently released his first album, My Life, which was featured in The Times of India (India’s CNN). He released Chicago Summer, a 3 song E.P. His song Shine had over 55,000 YouTube plays last 2015. April 1st, 2021, he released his single Don't Shoot Your Blues Away getting radio airplay on Uncle Buc Plays The Blues Show. Recently, he released his second full-length album: Times Strange.

Brant met Bluesman Jesse Graves last 2013. Graves was Philadelphia’s leading bluesman during the 1970s 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 the 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 career-ending tennis injury. The pain taught him what Blues are all about.

Buckley’s Chicago Blues sound is melodic, rhythmic, and haunting. He pulls heavily from his folk and spiritual background and there are hints of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Son House. He is all about the power of song. In addition, Brant is a certified USPTA tennis professional and has been practicing meditation (Kriya Yoga) and energetic healing for over 10 years.

Brant has over 60 published interviews/reviews as a contributing author for The American Blues Scene. He's interviewed George Thorogood, Bobby Rush, John Hammond, John Primer, Dick Waterman, and Walter Trout to name a few.

About the song

As narrated by Brant, he relocated to Chicago as a USPTA certified teaching tennis professional. Tennis had been a huge part of his life since he was a kid. With his persistence, he landed a Proposition, teaching tennis, but unfortunately suffered an on-the-job right foot injury which abruptly ended his tennis days. Over a three-year period of pain, muscle weakness, and dejection, he lost his money, job, and was forced to sell his precious car. He was miserable. From this dark time, he wrote the song, “Nerve Damage Blues.” The lyrics in the song talk about his four-year battle with nerve pain, a lawsuit, and overcoming the injury. He had the Blues so bad he couldn’t even play the Blues and he didn’t want anything to do with anyone or anything. Looking back, the injury was an extreme blessing for him and it happened for a reason. Going through it taught him what the Blues are all about. He is thankful for the injury as it created his new musical sound. Real Blues are no joke and it’s like Son House said:

“The Blues ain’t nothing but a low down shaking chill. If you ain’t had em I hope you never will.”

To know more about Brant Buckley, make sure you follow him on his social media accounts:

Official Website:

https://brantbuckley.com/bio

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/brantbuckley/?hl=en

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/BrantBuckley

Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2TYunq1O5wHHCJO3AxgfXt

Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/brant-buckley/579442672

Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/brant-buckley/nerve-damage-blues