Take a Burning Man experience and a Gene concert at 16, and you have the beginnings of Buckman Coe’s musical career.
“Gene was a band that was very much had the same kind of feel as The Smiths for instance,” said Coe. The guy was quite a performer and dramatic. Having this kind of dramatic experience which is pretty good for that age — I think I was 16 — it was really cool to see and I was already starting to be in a little band at that age. It was really nice to see how a performer can take people on a journey and move them into a certain emotional feel and experience.”
Coe only came to becoming professional musician three years ago after sharing his music with his friends, and playing and experiencing Burning Man.
“After I started to witness the effect that my music was having on certain friends it really propelled me,” he said. “And then I went to Burning Man. I had a big opening of just playing and the music being received and it effecting people in a powerful way, that was the big choice for me of becoming a musician, that summer.”
Inspired by a range of topics from the political, the sociological, the psychological, the spiritual and the environmental, Coe has created two powerful and unique albums.
“I try to be very honest to what wants to come out of me,” said Coe about his music. “I think when I first made that decision I was still really in a very folky mood. The first record is very folky and very soft. There are elements of Nick Drake and Paul Simon.”
He describes his second album as being more Americana and more “rocky,” with influences of Jeff Buckley and Ben Harper.
“A lot of it has to do with the music that I’m listening to,” he said. “Right now I’m listening to a ton of dub and still listen to a lot of folk. I love both and for me I like to bring things together. When I’m creating art I like to bring things that I love together and see what comes out.”
Coe plays The Royal on Tuesday night and will be taking the stage at this summer’s Starbelly Jam Music Festival in Crawford Bay.
Doors open for The Royal show at 9 p.m. and info on Starbelly is at starbellyjam.org.