Lucy Dacus presents ‘VBS’, a new single/video from her forthcoming album, Home Video, out June 25th on Matador Records / Remote Control Records. Like the previously released ‘Hot & Heavy‘ and ‘Thumbs‘, ‘VBS‘ starts the way a memoir might – “In the summer of ‘07 I was sure I’d go to heaven, but I was hedging my bets at VBS” – and presents the compassion, humour and honesty of the best autobiographical writing. ‘VBS’ features Dacus on vocals, Jacob Blizard on a slew of electric and acoustic guitars and Jake Finch on drums and organ. The song’s opening melody is contained, feeling as intimate as whisper, before erupting into a wall of reverb and static, and eventually falling away as Dacus carries it out with only her voice. The beautifully animated ‘VBS’ video was made by Dacus’ longtime creative collaborator and Home Video visual director Marin Leong. It perfectly complements the song’s pacing and Home Video’s overall visual presentation (see album layout here). Dacus and Leong comment on the song and video:
“VBS means vacation bible school, and I went to tons of them. It’s where Christian parents send their kids over the winter, spring, or summer breaks from school to get closer to God, maybe learn some outdoor skills, and bring home useless crafts and totems like fruit of the spirit sand art and purity rings. I wrote the song in the van on the way to Nashville to record Home Video after seeing one of those readerboards outside a church advertising a wholesome church camp for kids. I thought about my first boyfriend, who I met at VBS, the resident bad boy who loved Slayer and weed more than Jesus. I took it upon myself to save him, and make him stop doing drugs (with an exception for snorting nutmeg). God, I was so lame.” – Lucy Dacus