The Belle Curves is lead by Delaney Hafener, formerly of Pandafan, featuring a rotating cast of musicians. They have crafted a unique sound inspired by the many traditions of Americana, complementing introspective lyrics and a songwriting style informed by the 60s and 70s Laurel Canyon scene with some old-school country thrown in. Their music touches upon themes of self-doubt, progressive politics, identity, and disaffection, using timeless Americana motifs through an irreverent yet genuine, modern lens. They are currently based in Eastern Long Island.
Their new single, “Check Engine Light” tells a true story of her and her partner’s road trip across the country in her 2004 Pontiac Vibe. This road trip opened her eyes to how culturally diverse our country is and what it means to be American. She describes her adventure in an upbeat folk sound paired with layering vocals that allow you to feel as if you are in the car with her.
The Belle Curves are no strangers to Adobe & Teardrops — they donated a song to the 10th anniversary fundraiser (which you can still donate to yourself!) I’m taken with their laid-back 70s influences, and I can already tell you that the upcoming album Watershed adds a little steel to their velvety sounds.
Who are some of your musical influences?
A huge influence for me lately, and this is perhaps embarrassingly obvious, is Bob Dylan. I never really listened to him much growing up because my parents both never cared for the sound of his voice, but when I began exploring Americana music more intentionally a few years ago, it seemed like all roads lead to Dylan. I finally sat down and listened to the first, like, 8 albums of his discography in release order and something clicked. I fell irreversibly in love with the songs. I still can’t believe it took me so long. I fell in love with The Band at the same time and it was with them that I knew what kind of music I wanted to make. I grew up listening to a lot of Nanci Griffith as a kid because my mom loves her, and in high school I was really into the indie-folk trend of the early 2010’s with Fleet Foxes, Mumford & Sons, etc. I don’t listen to a lot of that stuff now but First Aid Kit and The Decemberists especially had an outsized impact on me. And its cliche but i will always be sucker for Springsteen.
Explain the title of your album.
I was driving home with my sister one day, this was when the album was about finished and I was planning on having it be self-titled. I saw a sign on the highway that said “Now Entering the Great South Bay Watershed” and I made her look up the definition of watershed. The literal definition is the area that a particular body of water gets drained from, and the other definition is a turning point in a history, especially one that was not obvious when it occurred. This album feels like both those definitions to me. It feels like the culmination of all my influences coming together and blending into a new thing, and it feels like a turning point for me as a songwriter, bandleader, producer, and musician generally. And I wanted something to gently refer to my background coming from the hinterlands of Long Island, a place I have a complex relationship with.
Do you have any go-to albums to listen to in the van?
I love this question. I always love listening to Welcome Interstate Managers by Fountains of Wayne in the car because it was something my parents loved when I was a kid, and we would always listen to the CD in the family van on summer vacations. So I have very strong memories of happy traveling associated with that song. I also loved Nanci Griffith’s Other Voices Other Rooms as a kid, and revisiting that in college after not listening to it since I was a child opened so many doors as I explored the songwriters she was covering. Lately I can’t stop listening to the new Big Thief record.
How do you feel your coming out journey plays into your music?
I feel like I never really came out and I still don’t know what words to use that best describe me, other than queer. I discovered Lavender Country, and when I decided to cover “Waltzing Will” I realized that I didn’t need to prove my queerness to anyone, including myself. I’m fundamentally at odds with the cis-hetero-normative patriarchy that I find myself living in and that’s all I need to know to give myself space to explore my queerness as it evolves over time. Music is a way for us to express who we are as individuals so that we can find each other and form the collective, and I feel so much support from the ever-growing queer country/Americana/roots world, which to me is the point of all of it.
What’s the best way a fan can support you?
I have a subscription option on Bandcamp, which functions just like Patreon, but it’s streamlined with the other releases and music-specific features that are on Bandcamp. So if someone has a few extra dollars each month that’s the best option. There’s always merch and physical music on Bandcamp as well. Or if you’re broke like me and most of the people I know, no-cost options exist! adding the songs to your playlists, following The Belle Curves on your streaming platform, sending songs to friends who you think would be into it, are all tangible ways to help gain a little traction in the vast algorithmic chaos we all exist in.