Lucy Dacus Opens Up About New Album, Fame, and the Pressure of Success

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Lucy Dacus, the indie rock singer-songwriter known for her introspective lyrics and collaborations with the supergroup Boygenius, is stepping back into the spotlight with her upcoming solo album, *Forever Is a Feeling*. In her first press interview in over a year, Dacus opened up about the challenges of fame, her creative process, and the deeply personal themes behind her new music.

Dacus, 29, has spent the past few years navigating the whirlwind success of Boygenius, the trio she formed with Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers. Their 2023 debut album, *the record*, earned critical acclaim, three Grammy Awards, and a Brit Award. But the spotlight brought its own set of challenges. “I wouldn’t wish [celebrity] upon anyone,” Dacus told *Dazed*. “But also, if you showed me this life in a lineup, I would pick it over and over.”

Her new album, set for release on March 28 via Geffen Records, marks her first solo project since 2021’s *Home Video*. Titled *Forever Is a Feeling*, the album explores themes of love, loss, and the fleeting nature of time. “I think with this whole record, I wrote songs as things were happening,” Dacus explained. “This is the first time I felt like I needed to write about my current emotions, for my own well-being, to express to myself what’s going on.”

The lead single, “Ankles,” delves into the tension between desire and self-control. “It’s all about wanting something you can’t have, particularly someone you can’t have, and trying to figure out how to let off that steam so that it doesn’t explode and blow up your life,” Dacus said. The accompanying music video, shot in Paris, features Dacus in a striking red dress, a nod to the album’s themes of romance and historical grandeur.

Dacus also reflected on the pressures of following up her success with Boygenius. “Going from doing everything with Julien and Phoebe to being by myself, I’ve been worried that it’s gonna feel lonely,” she admitted. “But the main goal was to make it and be proud of it, which I’ve already done.”

The album’s title, *Forever Is a Feeling*, encapsulates Dacus’s philosophy on life and love. “You can’t actually capture forever, but I think we feel forever in moments,” she said. “I think people’s fear of temporality is so dangerous. The fear of death motivates a lot of ugly behavior and pain. But if you become friends with it, you can live more in gratitude than in grief.”

Dacus will embark on a 13-city tour in April and May, with stops at iconic venues like Radio City Music Hall and Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The tour follows four sold-out intimate shows in February, where she plans to debut new material. “I’m very worried about bothering people,” Dacus said of her meticulous approach to her art. “But it will bother me more over time if the art isn’t something I’m proud of.”