Great American “Bumper Stickers”
Written by: Brianna Coccia - April 2020
Edited by: Travis Ryan
Queen of all trades (and by that we mean producer/vocalist/songwriter/instrumentalist) Delaney Hafener, formerly of Pandafan, is the brains behind the operation we know as The Belle Curves. Conceived in January of 2020, the new outfit explores themes of identity, disaffection, and progressive politics through low-key indie-folk tunes.
From Pandafan to the Belle Curves
Transition periods are never easy. That goes for new careers, living situations, and especially music directions. When asked about the changeover from Pandafan to The Belle Curves, Delaney explained, “Pandafan never officially broke up, I think it just kind of ran out of energy. I wanted a clean slate to try something new.” The Belle Curves don’t have that problem; they bring a newfound sense of energy as well as new faces (quite literally) to their music by featuring an ongoing rotation of musicians.
Making “Bumper Stickers” Great Again
Delaney handled the guitars, vocals, and banjo on “Bumper Stickers” and split the producer role with her father Bill Hafener, who also featured on electric guitar. With such a powerful family duo, it only makes sense that the lineup rounds out with similarly talented minds. Brian Moritz pulls you into a trance with his twangy pedal steel, as Sarah Gross and Anne O’Rourke fill your ears with gentle, welcoming harmonies that transcend you into the world of The Belle Curves.
“Bumper Sticker” explores a new styling of music for The Belle Curves, as it takes on a more alternative country style. The piece draws inspiration from progressive alt-country music of the ‘60s and ’70s—namely songs like “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore” by John Prine and “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” by The Byrds. Delaney says she “wanted to poke fun at the hypocrisy of suburban conservatism” through the Americana tune.
““The juxtaposition of country music with all the lyrics being about all the things we do wrong as a country is fantastic … creating something like this is so interesting and gutsy to do. Definitely a song to sit and marinate in.””
The Belle Curves maintain that it’s important for people to derive their own meaning from songs and try not to be swayed by other people’s interpretations. That being said, this song delivers undeniably striking commentary on today’s society—and with melodies that roll into the ear and off the tongue at that.
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