LA indie folk/pop troubadour, activist, and community builder Ethan Buckner wants you to see who he really is: his traumas and triumphs, anxieties and hopes. His debut LP Treading Water, produced by grammy-nominee Justin Glasco (Paris Paloma, Lone Bellow), weaves between moments both intimate and anthemic, exploring struggles that are both deeply personal and unavoidably collective. Following a whirlwind year of touring and releases, Ethan and Justin are hard at work on his second LP. The project is Ethan’s reckoning and redemption, written after Ethan found himself immobilized for months in early 2025 following a severe back injury. His new work casts an invitation to embrace vulnerability as a source of power.
Ethan’s emergence as a songwriter and performing artist is interwoven with his storied career as an advocate for social change. From rappelling off a highway bridge to confront Big Oil and enduring military detention in Egypt to leading mass non-violent protests against corporate greed and political corruption, Ethan has undertaken great personal risk to challenge injustice. Reflecting back on his oft-harrowing 20s, Ethan’s songwriting evokes calm in the chaos, creating space for reflection, resilience, and connection in an unpredictable world.
Ethan debuted his first single Eyes on the Prize with his band for 75,000 attendees of a climate change rally in midtown Manhattan in September 2023, of which he was a core organizer. The song, “an emotionally charged anthem of resilience, hope, and staying power for all who need it” (Atwood Magazine), launched a whirlwind year of touring and releases, including his first European run in Sweden and Germany, that culminated in Buckner’s debut headline performance at the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles and at San Francisco’s Brick & Mortar Music Hall.
Treading Water draws upon Ethan’s poetic lyricism, intricate guitar work and soulful vocals and infuses raw emotion with soaring hooks and dark and ephemeral soundscapes. Featured musicians include producer and multi-instrumentalist Justin Glasco, along with guitarist Brandon Walters (Lord Huron), vocalist and synth/keyboardist Debbie Neigher (Marina, Suki Waterhouse) and Ethan’s brother, drummer Matt Buckner.
Ethan is also the founder of Westside Sounds, a concert series that features the beautiful diversity of talent on LA’s west side at moss venice.
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