Lucy Elizabeth Dacus ( ; born May 2, 1995) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Originally from Richmond, Virginia, Dacus first gained fame following the release of her debut album, '' No Burden'' (2016), which led to a deal with

Matador Records Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts. History Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City ap ...

. ''

Historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

'', her second album, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim. ''

Home Video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

'', her third studio album, was released in 2021. '' Forever is a Feeling'', her fourth album, was released in 2025. In addition to her solo work, Dacus is also a member of the

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests *Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...

supergroup

Boygenius Boygenius (stylized in lowercase as boygenius) is an American indie rock supergroup consisting of American singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus. They debuted with their self-titled EP in 2018, and then returned af ...

, with

Julien Baker Julien Rose Baker (born 1995) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her music is noted for its moody quality and confessional lyrical style, as well as frank explorations of topics including Christianity, addiction, mental ...

and

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers on acoustic guitar and Electronic music, electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has won four Grammy Aw ...

. The band has released one studio album and two EPs to critical acclaim and widespread touring. The band won three Grammy Awards in 2024, including

Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. Ho ...

. They also became the first all-female band to win

Best Rock Song The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre. Honors in several ...

and

Best Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for ...

. In October 2023, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' named Dacus the 213th-greatest guitarist of all time, noting: " erguitar is as essential an instrument as her voice".

Early life

Lucy Elizabeth Dacus was born on May 2, 1995. She was adopted as an infant and grew up in

Mechanicsville, Virginia Mechanicsville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hanover County, Virginia, United States. The population was 39,482 during the 2020 census, up from 36,348 in the 2010 census. History The area was settled by ...

, a suburb of Richmond. She is of Uzbek and Irish descent. Her adoptive mother is a professional pianist and music teacher, and her adoptive father is a graphic designer. Dacus had an early interest in music, and bought her first guitar, an

Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki was one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United Stat ...

, from Craigslist when she was in middle school. After graduating from

Maggie L. Walker Governor's School The Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies (MLWGSGIS) is a public regional magnet school, magnet high school in Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. One of the 18 Virginia Governor's Schools (Virginia) ...

in 2013, she began studying film at

Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...

, but left to avoid student debt and the "feeling of being misunderstood" in her university program. Prior to becoming a full-time musician, she was employed by Richmond Camera as an editor for children's school photos. During this time, she wrote approximately 30 songs, nine of which would make up the tracklist of '' No Burden''.

Career

2015–2018: ''No Burden'' and ''Historian''

Dacus first performed in New York City in March 2015. Her first single, "I Don't Wanna Be Funny Anymore", premiered in November 2015. Her debut album ''No Burden'' was produced in Nashville by her hometown friends,

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

graduate Collin Pastore and

Oberlin Conservatory of Music The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is a private music school, music conservatory of Oberlin College, a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio. It was founded in 1865 and is the ...

graduate Jacob Blizard; it was recorded at the request of Blizard for a school project. The album was originally released digitally on CD, and on vinyl via Richmond's EggHunt Records on February 26, 2016. Dacus was then signed to

, who re-released the album on September 9, 2016. In the same year she performed at

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...

, in Chicago's Grant Park and made her national television debut on ''

CBS This Morning ''CBS This Morning'' (''CTM'') is an American morning television program that aired on CBS from November 30, 1987 to October 29, 1999, and again from January 9, 2012 to September 6, 2021. On November 1, 1999, the original incarnation was repla ...

''. She recorded a Tiny Desk Concert for NPR the same weekend. In October 2016 she played the

London Calling ''London Calling'' is the third studio album by the English rock band the Clash. It was originally released as a double album in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 by CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 by Epic Records. ...

festival in Amsterdam, as a replacement for

The Duke Spirit The Duke Spirit are an English rock band formed in London in 2003 and now based between the UK and Australia. Their sound has been seen as a melding of influences ranging from alternative rock bands such as The Jesus and Mary Chain and Spiri ...

, who had been forced to cancel. Dacus's second album, titled ''

'', was released on March 2, 2018. Like its predecessor, it was met with widespread critical acclaim. Writing for Pitchfork, Sasha Geffen praised its nuance and sensitivity: "It’s not an easy album to wear out. It lasts, and it should, given that so many of its lyrics pick at time, and the way time condenses around deep emotional attachments to other people." ''Rolling Stone'' rated the album 4/5 stars, as did ''NME''. ''Historian'', like ''No Burden'', was recorded in Nashville, at Trace Horse Studio, in a similar collaborative effort by Lucy Dacus, Jacob Blizard, and Collin Pastore.

2018–2025: Boygenius, ''2019'' EP, and ''Home Video''

In 2018, Dacus, along with

and

, formed the supergroup

. In August, they released three songs from their self-titled debut EP, which was fully released on October 26, 2018. To coincide with Valentine's Day 2019, Dacus released a cover of "

La Vie en rose ; ) is the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the United States in 1950, when seven versions reached the ''Billboard'' cha ...

", the first in a planned series of songs commemorating major holidays. Dacus released her third studio album ''

'' on June 25, 2021. She performed one of its singles, "Hot & Heavy", on ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

'' on April 13. On November 10, Dacus released her single "Thumbs Again", a re-release of her song "Thumbs" with additional instrumentation, alongside the announcement of 2022 US tour dates. On February 2, 2022, Dacus released a single "Kissing Lessons", accompanied by a music video. On March 8, 2023, Dacus released a music video for the song "Night Shift", directed by Jane Schoenbrun, for the fifth anniversary of ''Historian''. Boygenius' debut studio album ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * The Record (Fear album), ''The Record'' (Fear album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Record (Boygenius album), ''The Record'' (Boygenius album), a 2023 studio album by the indie rock supe ...

'' was released on March 31, 2023 and Dacus spent much of the year touring the album with the group, including an appearance at

Coachella Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music festival, music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valle ...

and on

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

. On February 1, 2024, Boygenius announced a hiatus. On October 8, 2024, Dacus was a surprise opener for a makeup

show at New York City's

Brooklyn Steel Brooklyn Steel is a music venue in Brooklyn, New York which opened in 2017. ''Rolling Stone'' named Brooklyn Steel one of the 10 best live music venues in America. Bookings are managed by AEG, using its AXS ticketing platform. History The na ...

, where she performed an untitled new song, now known as "Best Guess" on International Lesbian Day. Boygenius

2025–present: ''Forever Is a Feeling''

On January 15, 2025, Dacus announced her fourth studio album, '' Forever Is a Feeling''. The same day, she released the single "Ankles". ''Forever Is a Feeling'' was released on March 28, 2025. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''s

Alexis Petridis Alexis Petridis (born 13 September 1971) is an English journalist. He is the head Rock music, rock and pop music critic for ''The Guardian'', and a regular contributor for ''GQ''. In addition to his music journalism for the paper, he has written ...

gave the album three stars, writing that Dacus "gets lost in understatement on a loved-up album about her relationship with bandmate Julien Baker, shrouding sharp lyrics in shy melodies". ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

''s Laura Snapes gave the album a 6.1, writing "''Forever Is a Feeling'' is Dacus' sweetest and most sentimental-sounding album, all but extinguishing the bonfire crackle of her previous records."

Artistry

Dacus' vocals have been described as "rich ndbuttery," and her lyrics are characterized as "playful and also heartrendingly candid." Lyrical themes explored by Dacus in her songs include young love and

lovesickness Lovesickness is an affliction that can produce negative feelings when deeply in love, during the absence of a loved one or when love is unrequited. The term "lovesickness" is rarely used in modern medicine and psychology, though new research ...

. According to Ivy Nelson of

, "The people in her songs seem to naturally settle into realms of instability and ambiguity."

Activism

After Texas's new abortion law went into effect on September 1, 2021, Dacus announced on Twitter that all the money she makes at her upcoming shows in Texas "will be going towards abortion funds." She also informed her fans to bring extra money to her Houston and San Antonio shows for the donation to the abortion funds. During her Home Video Tour in July 2022, Dacus announced that she and her supporting act

Camp Cope Camp Cope were an Australian alternative rock band formed in 2015 in Melbourne, Victoria. The group's lineup consisted of lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Georgia "Georgia Maq" McDonald, bassist Kelly-Dawn "Kelso" Hellmrich, and drummer S ...

would be donating tips from the merchandise stand to the organization Fund Abortion Not Police. While performing with Boygenius at

in April 2023, the band spoke in support of

trans rights The legal status of transgender people varies greatly around the world. Some countries have enacted laws protecting the rights of transgender individuals, but others have criminalized their gender identity or expression. In many cases, transg ...

following bills proposed in states like Florida and Missouri. At a later tour date in June 2023 in Tennessee, Dacus and her fellow band members performed in drag in protest of anti-drag legislation that state governor Bill Lee signed into law that was blocked in federal court. After former President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

included " Not Strong Enough" by Boygenius on his 2023 annual summer playlist, Dacus quote tweeted him, saying "war criminal ".

Personal life

Dacus was raised

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

but is no longer religious. She is

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

. Dacus lived in

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, a city in the United States * Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

until late 2019, and

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

until 2023. She currently resides in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

with her partner, fellow Boygenius bandmate

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Other charted songs

Other appearances

Music videos

Guest appearances

As part of Boygenius

* ''

'' (2018) * ''Boygenius (Demos)'' (2020) * ''

'' (2023) * '' The Rest'' (2023)

Tours

* 2016 Tour (2016) * 2017 Tour (with Hamilton Leithauser) (2017) * Historian Tour (2018) * North American Summer 2018 Tour (2018) *

Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers with Lucy Dacus Tour The Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers with Lucy Dacus Tour was a co-headlining concert tour with indie rock musicians Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, collectively known as Boygenius. Background In 2016, Phoebe Bridgers opened for ...

(2018) * 2019 Tour (2019) * Fall Tour 2019 (2019) * Spring UK/EU Tour (2020; suspended after 2 dates) * 2021 North American Tour (2021) * Winter Tour 2022 (2022) * UK/EU 2022 (2022) * Summer Tour 2022 (2022) * Home Video Tour (2022) * Re:SET Concert Series (2023) *

The Tour The Tour may refer to: *The Tour de France cycling race *The Tour (album), ''The Tour'' (album), a 1998 live album by Mary J. Blige *''The Olivia Tremor Control/Black Swan Network'', an album also known as The Tour EP *The Tour (Kiss and Mötley Cr� ...

(2023) * Forever is a Feeling Tour North America (2025) * Forever is a Feeling Tour UK/EU (2025)

Accolades

Notes

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dacus, Lucy Living people 1995 births American women singer-songwriters Musicians from Richmond, Virginia LGBTQ people from Virginia American LGBTQ singers American former Christians 21st-century American singer-songwriters American queer women Grammy Award winners Boygenius members Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies alumni American feminist musicians 21st-century American women singers Singer-songwriters from Virginia American people of Uzbek descent American people of Irish descent 21st-century American LGBTQ people People from Mechanicsville, Virginia American adoptees American women rock singers Virginia Commonwealth University alumni LGBTQ women singers Matador Records artists Geffen Records artists