Old cars are curious things. Over time, like a good partner, we come to appreciate their little eccentricities, the things that give them character, define their personalities. Those warning lights? That’s just their way of saying they love you. But every car has its day and they all eventually head off into the sunset. The debut single from Dartmouth’s Book Buddies, “Neon,” is an ode to one car in particular, but it stands in for all the first cars we’ve all had.
If Book Buddies tickles the memory banks of your eardrums, it’s probably for good reason. Named for (obviously) a favourite elementary school learning program, Book Buddies is an amalgam of two of your favourite Nova Scotian indie punk bands, Outtacontroller and Designosaur, consisting of Rebecca Dalley (vocals/guitar), Anna Cannings (bass/vocals), Andrew O’Toole (guitar), and AJ Boutilier (drums).
Fronted by Dalley, the band’s new single, “Neon,” is a love ballad to the old ’98 Dodge Neon that was handed down from her grandparents.
“It was a really sentimental thing to me I guess lots of great memories and good times,” says Dalley. “It kept me going through college and died right after I graduated, which I feel had to be a weird sign of something.”
The car, as is the norm of such things, came with its quirks which get lovingly detailed in the song’s chorus. Dalley points out the particularly peculiar habit that the radio had of squealing between songs.
“The car didn’t have a CD player, no aux cable or even cassette tape player. So, I had an audio transmitter and, in between every song, there would be the loudest static you can imagine. The car definitely had a lot of character. The speedometer would break on me sometimes too, hence the line, ‘How fast can u go even though I’ll never know.'”
Despite the quirks, Dalley assures us that the song is still very much a love ballad.
“The day it got towed away I sat in the window and cried as they took it away for some reason,” says Dalley. “I’m not a car gal but that one had my heart.”
The single is the first in a score of new material that the band are expecting to release. Dalley assays she’s been writing songs since the age of ten and having dropped them all into the laps of her friends immediately resulted in the band’s genesis, providing them with all the fodder they need for an upcoming full-length album and more.
“And this is definitely more of an indie rock/pop vibe, we’re working on some more songs and will actually have a full-length out this year too. Some of the songs get a little more punk sounding too, I guess like indie-rock-pop-punk,” laughs Dalley, “So hard to narrow it down, but much more of a pop vibe than the other bands.
“I’m really regretting that I didn’t keep the car though we were going to beat it up for a music video. Missed opportunities but what can ya do?”
Book Buddies’ debut album is expected to be released during the Fall of 2021.