Lucy Dacus: Authentic Love

"It seems like I have transformed into the person I always aspired to be." A large part of the time Lucy dedicated to creating ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ was with her boygenius bandmates. Since their self-titled EP debuted in 2018, the following summer after the release of 2023’s ‘the record’ saw the trio become inescapable, with major performances on both sides of the Atlantic. With all three identifying as queer, their live performances served as heartwarming spaces that fostered community. “It's such a unique perspective to look out at the audience and witness that happening,” Lucy reflects on the experience. “I will always cherish the view from the stage watching people not just sing to us but to one another. Observing friends connect over shared themes and find ways to express their care for each other. Music has been a life-long source of benefit for me in that respect, and creating music that has a similar impact on others feels miraculous.” Both Julien and Phoebe provide backing vocals for several tracks on the album, including the title track and ‘Most Wanted Man’. However, Lucy's journey in understanding her own queerness took time (“I began discussing it later than I grasped it”), but she has recently been more open to talking about it, resulting in amusing situations. “I’ve received interview requests stating, ‘We’d like to interview you as a queer icon.’ What? I’m in my twenties, a queer icon? What does that mean?” The term icon might have lost much of its original significance, but the reality is that Lucy and her bandmates have continuously supported the LGBTQ+ community. When Nashville enacted anti-drag legislation in 2023, the group performed in the city dressed in full drag, and they have since taken additional opportunities to voice their opinions. However, after transitioning from an indie musician to mainstream recognition, Lucy has found that attracting a larger audience brings numerous challenges. With the ability to scrutinize every photo, social media update, or action of public figures—particularly those using their platform for activism—now easily accessible, Lucy's journey from indie artist to a well-known name has introduced heightened scrutiny. In January, she posted a casting call for her song ‘Best Guess’ seeking “hot mascs,” which resulted in the song gaining moderate viral popularity. In February, the ensuing video was released, featuring MUNA’s Naomi McPherson, Towa Bird, and model Cara Delevingne. The backlash was swift, with critics pointing out the lack of racial and body diversity within the cast. “Public figures often discuss this among themselves because you’re still human, and the child version of you is still inside facing bullying,” she observes. “Or when people tell you that you’re unattractive or that your art is poor, or that you possess malicious intent. They don’t know you. It can be challenging.” Even with good intentions, it can become impossible to meet expectations that you might not even recognize. “I contributed $10k to various trans people’s GoFundMe campaigns for surgeries, and some said, ‘that’s not enough money’,” she shares, referring to her recent commitment to assist a group of trans individuals with their gender-affirming care fundraisers. “They have no knowledge of my financial situation, but they’re correct that it’s not sufficient. The point isn’t about solving these issues; it’s that I genuinely want to give money regularly, and I feel good doing so.” Truthfully, this aspect of being a musician is the part she enjoys the least. With her rising public profile, she emphasizes throughout our conversation that her motivation for making music remains unchanged since the beginning of her career. Having transitioned from the indie label Matador to the major label Universal, she now has larger budgets and more creative freedom but anticipates some skepticism regarding her decisions. “I think there’s a certain pessimism about popular things, and I’m not sure I can change that. However, I trust my methods and intentions; I still feel like the same person.”