An equally rollicking and melancholy variety of alternative country, alternative rock, and americana, Neko Case & Her Boyfriends was the name of Neko Case’s first band as lead singer and principal songwriter. Neko Case herself (born September 8, 1970 in Alexandria, Virginia) is an American alternative country singer-songwriter, best known for her solo career and as a member of The New Pornographers. She began playing in the local Vancouver punk scene before forming her own alt-country band Neko Case & Her Boyfriends.
Her music is frequently labeled alternative country, although Case doesn’t describe it in that way. She recorded and toured for several years as Neko Case & Her Boyfriends before switching to her own name. Case primarily writes her own material, but she also performs and has recorded cover versions of songs by artists such as Loretta Lynn, Tom Waits, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Bob Dylan, and Hank Williams. She frequently infuses humorous narratives into her live sets, a habit she says she gained from her grandmother and Wanda Jackson.
She is protective of her artistic independence, combining punk’s “do it yourself aesthetic,” a strong business sense, and clear opinions about her artistic goals. She has spurned offers from major record labels because they don’t offer her enough control of her music, remaining affiliated with Mint Records in Canada and Bloodshot and ANTI- in the U.S.
Though she grew up in the U.S., Case began her musical career in Canada. She lived in Vancouver, British Columbia, for several years, playing with a variety of local punk bands, most prominently Cub and Maow, and recording her first country album. She frequently collaborates with Canadian musicians, including The New Pornographers, The Sadies and Carolyn Mark, and has recorded material by several noted Canadian songwriters, notably on her 2001 EP Canadian Amp. As a result, she is a significant figure in Canadian music, and even U.S. media have sometimes referred to Case as Canadian. |
