BilloBuckers return with one of their most important releases to date in It’s Ok Not To Be Ok — a poignant, stirring single that tackles male depression with empathy, honesty and real understanding. It’s a track that doesn’t just observe from a distance; it leans in, offering reassurance, support and the quiet strength of friendship at a time when it’s needed most.
Since bursting onto the indie scene in 2023 with It’ll Be Alright the Leicester 4-piece have released six singles and two EPs ( 2023s Eloquently Common and 2025s BilloBuckers At Hydrus Live) earning rave reviews from industry taste makers.
Built on the band’s distinct sonic identity — where the grit and force of rock meets the introspection of indie — It’s Ok Not To Be Ok is both powerful and deeply human. Rich guitar riffs carry the emotional weight, the rhythm section keeps everything grounded, and Billy’s vocals sit front and centre, delivering each line with a sincerity that’s impossible to ignore. It’s the sound of a band who know exactly what they want to say and how to say it. The addition of Angie Lloyd’s backing vocals adds a subtle but crucial emotional lift, softening the edges of the track at key moments and giving the chorus an added sense of warmth and unity.
Lyrically, the song cuts straight to the core. Rather than dressing the subject up in metaphor, BilloBuckers keep things direct, reflecting on the reality of men masking how they feel and the difficulty of opening up. Lines like “You know I’m always here if you ever need to talk / You know I’ve been here before” capture the quiet, everyday conversations that can mean everything to someone who’s struggling.
There’s also a strong sense of relatability threaded throughout. The references to the grind of daily life and emotional exhaustion — “When you’re a slave for a wage and you can’t catch a break” — land with particular weight, grounding the song in real-world pressures and making its message feel even more authentic.
But for all its heaviness, the track is ultimately uplifting. The repeated refrain, “It’s okay not to be okay,” becomes a unifying mantra, something simple yet powerful that echoes long after the final note fades. It transforms the song from a reflection into a lifeline — a reminder that support is there, that vulnerability isn’t weakness, and that talking can make all the difference.
What BilloBuckers do so well here is turn deeply personal, and often taboo, subject matter into something universal. Their songwriting has always explored love, loss and growth, but this release feels particularly purposeful. The band weave together dynamic instrumentation and soul-stirring vocals to create something that feels less like a single and more like an emotional journey — one that many listeners will recognise themselves in.
“It’s Ok Not To Be Ok” stands as a powerful statement piece: compassionate, honest and brimming with heart. It’s the kind of song that doesn’t just ask to be heard — it asks to be felt. And in doing so, BilloBuckers deliver one of their most meaningful and resonant releases yet.
It’s Ok To Not Be Ok is out now.
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