Country singer-songwriter Buckstein tells a tale of mothers and sons, laced with nostalgia and the drama of running away from home, in his new single, “Everything I Need (Acoustic).” It’s a stripped-down take on the song co-written with Joey Barba, and the story and its gamut of emotions is allowed to shine with the gentler instrumentation. Buckstein knows how to tell a story, how to tug at heartstrings, and we love every twangy note and word of this gorgeous song.

Vents Magazine sat down with Buckstein to talk about the new single, and we took a dive into the creation of the song. including its inspiration, and the writing and production process. We also chatted about what’s next for this talented artist.

Hi Buckstein, welcome to VENTS! How have you been?

Fantastic. Thank you.

You have an amazing new single that just came out in August. What can you tell us about it? How did you come to write this song? What is it about and what does it mean to you?

Well, thanks! It felt like a topic that doesn’t have as much representation as other topics – a mother’s love for her son and how delicate that relationship can be. I got the idea a few years ago on Mother’s Day when I heard a newscaster telling a story about how he tried to run away when he was a kid. He said he packed up all of his toys, got to the door, and turned around and told his mother, “I’ve got everything I need, except you.” The story choked me up, so I wrote a song about it. To me, it’s a great reminder to give thanks and love to the ones who really shape who we are.

What do you hope listeners get from hearing the song? What do you hope the song’s message is?

I hope listeners can relate to the stories and maybe get some good vibes from hearing them sung in a fun and meaningful way. The message here is: Mother’s love can be tough, but there’s a reason.

What was the recording process like in the studio for the song? Any great studio stories to share about this one?

Coming outta COVID, this one was all done remote. I sang and recorded my vocals at home, and my producer and co-writer, Joey Barba, did his part at his space in Nashville. I think the most fun story I remember is when we started writing the song, and I first sang the “ham and cheese” line. We cracked up for a good five minutes. At first, I don’t think we planned to keep the line, but it made us smile so much we couldn’t let it go.

Your sound on this song is really great. How did you settle upon your sound for this song? What are your favorite aspects of it… both/either lyrically and/or musically?

Thank you. Personally, I’m of the mixtape era and really like to play with all sorts of different colors in my music. Joey and I wrote the initial tune together, and then I went away for a while and let him hit me with his first pass of the instrumentation. He took this one in a modern direction with some really cool, electric vibes that meshed well with acoustic instruments. I loved it. It really brought out some good emotion in the song. I love using a combination of old and new elements to paint a picture. I think Joey really achieved that here.

What else is happening next for you? What can fans see you live next? Do you have any plans to release additional music this year?

Making music and moves! We’ve got a few good local Colorado shows this summer, and we’re headed to BeachLife Ranch in Redondo Beach, CA in September! Second year in a row we’ll be playing there, and it’s such a fun festival. Lots of great plans are in our future… and we’ll just keep doing all we can to help them pan out.