Lucy Dacus shared her newest single, “VBS,” which stands for “Vacation Bible School” and talks about her first boyfriend experience.
Lucy Dacus on Attending VBS And Meeting Her First Boyfriend
We know Lucy Dacus shines for her deep lyrics and accompanying meaningful music. On “VBS,” she didn’t just do that, but also shared an intense animated music video to provide a clear visual of the song.
“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. 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 shares in a statement.
Creating a Stunning Animated Video
The visual director of the video, Marin Leong, shared their vision to unfold the project. “A lot of the album examines navigation of self and how it evolves. Lucy and I have often talked about bodies, the part they play in our ideation of self. Both connection and disconnection to them. 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.”
Leong continues, “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 pair was able to put their ideas into reality flawlessly. The video shows young Lucy walking by herself into the stages of life that she narrates in the song. As the song unfolds and shifts into the second-person perspective, “VBS” focuses on a first boyfriend with a troubled home life who writes bad poetry and has “sedentary secrets like peach pits in your gut.”
“VBS” will be part of Lucy Dacus’ forthcoming album Home Video, coming out on June 25.
