Lucy Dacus is readying her forthcoming album, Home Video, which is set for release on June 25th via Matador, and today she’s shared an animated video for her new track, “VBS.”
The song opens like a memoir before exploding into a sort of stream-of-consciousness autobiography atop reverb-heavy instrumentals, as Dacus chronicles experiences of her past with vulnerability and humour. The accompanying animated video, which was created by director Marin Leong, comes packed with stunning pink shots of Dacus in a picturesque pond.
“‘VBS’ means vacation bible school, and I went to tons of them,” Dacus explains. “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.”
Watch the video for “VBS” below.
“A lot of the album examines navigation of self and how it evolves, and Lucy and I have often talked about bodies, the part they play in our ideation of self, and both connection and disconnection to them,” Leong adds. “We arrived at this world where her physical self is being distorted by the landscape that she’s present in, both in a beautiful and slightly uncanny way. One of the reasons I find animation and music compelling is the freedom in world building, the ability to translate story and tone, and synthesize it into a visual landscape using imagery that isn’t necessarily rooted in reality. And although I was treating this video like a diptych or braided essay with the song, rather than an overt visual depiction, I was able to make some subtle but direct references to the lyrics as well, so I’m excited for people to find those.”
The forthcoming album, which serves as the follow-up to 2018’s Historian, sees Dacus reflecting on her coming-of-age years in Richmond, Virginia. Serving as almost a memoir, Dacus offers snapshots of specific moments of her growing up, as she was learning about the complexity of emotions and relationships.
Check out the Home Video tracklist below.
Home Video Tracklist:
01 – “Hot & Heavy”
02 – “Christine”
03 – “First Time”
04 – “VBS”
05 – “Cartwheel”
06 – “Thumbs”
07 – “Going Going Gone”
08 – “Partner In Crime”
09 – “Brando”
10 – “Please Stay”
11 – “Triple Dog Dare”
Lead photo courtesy of Ebru Yildiz.