Grammy-nominated singer Neko Case is known for her powerful voice and passion for cars. Her album Middle Cyclone reached #3 on the Billboard charts, and her songs have been featured in soundtracks for True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, and The Hunger Games. As a core member of the indie rock supergroup The New Pornographers, Case has made a name for herself in the music industry. Her voice has been described by the New York Times as a ‘vocal tornado.’
Case’s love affair with vehicles began in her childhood. Initially, it was horses that captivated her, but she soon turned to cars as a symbol of freedom. In her new memoir, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You, Case recounts her difficult childhood, marked by absent parents, sexual abuse, and poverty. She found solace in music and driving, teaching herself to operate a vehicle without ever visiting the DMV.
Case’s first car was a faded yellow 1964 Ford Falcon, which she purchased for $350. She not only drove it but also learned to maintain it, seeing it as a way to assert her independence in a patriarchal society. ‘It was something I wasn’t supposed to be able to do, which seemed absolutely ludicrous,’ Case says about working on cars. ‘So, I decided to prove to myself that that wasn’t true, because whether or not I have a vagina should not matter if I’m working on a car, and it doesn’t.’
After the Falcon, Case owned a $50 bronze 1963 AMC Rambler Classic 660, where she continued to hone her mechanical skills. She later transitioned to vans when she started touring, with her favorite being a half-brown, half-silver 1988 GMC Rally STX, nicknamed The Beaver. The van was featured on the cover of her album Blacklisted.
Case has since sold The Beaver but maintains visitation rights. She now resides in Vermont, where she owns a 2021 Subaru Outback, nicknamed The Mackerel, and a 2024 GMC Sierra pickup. However, she hasn’t formed a bond with the truck due to its lack of aux connectivity, which hinders her ability to play her music while driving.
Case is currently working on a Broadway musical adaptation of the film Thelma and Louise, for which she is writing the music. This project may reignite her passion for classic cars, as the story features a 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible.
In reflecting on her love for cars, Case expresses gratitude for the freedom they provide. She also takes the opportunity to critique GMC regarding the lack of aux connectivity in her current truck, stating, ‘I got a bone to pick with them.’
