Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers have all had successful solo careers. Before the artists reached stardom on their own, however, Bridgers, Dacus and Baker were members of the band, “boygenius.”
Phoebe Bridgers is an indie-folk artist known for albums such as “Punisher” and “Stranger in the Alps.” Lucy Dacus is an artist in the indie-rock genre known for albums such as “Home Video” and “Historian.” Julien Baker is known for having a moody and confessional music style. She has released albums including “Little Oblivions” and “Turn Out the Lights.”
Baker has been referred to as the heart of the band, while Bridgers brings the soul and Dacus is the mastermind behind the songs’ style. The band has collectively decided, however, that there is no frontwoman; they are not to be viewed individually, instead collectively as “boygenius.”
The all-female band’s name, “boygenius,” ironically refers to how men and boys easily receive the praise of “genius” over any action they perform. The group slyly alludes to this concept on the cover of their EP, where the band is photographed in the same style and poses of Crosby, Stills and Nash on their debut album. Crosby, Stills and Nash are widely regarded as geniuses in the music industry.
The band also took inspiration from Nirvana’s 1994 Rolling Stone magazine cover and replicated it for their recent magazine cover.
All three artists started their solo careers in 2015 but decided to collaborate together in 2018 to release a self-titled EP, “boygenius,” which included songs such as “Bite the Hand,” “Me & My Dog,” “Souvenir,” “Stay Down,” “Salt In the Wound” and “Ketchum, ID.”
After the band’s debut in 2018, they decided to take a break. During almost every interview that Bridgers, Baker and Dacus participated in, they were all asked about the possibility of a reunion; they never confirmed whether that was a possibility.
Behind the scenes, however, the band was secretly working on their latest album, “The Record,” over the course of their four-year hiatus. The album is set to be released on March 31, with four of the song’s albums already streaming on all music platforms.
Bridgers explained the lyrics of the song “Not Strong Enough” during a recent Rolling Stone interview. “Self-hatred is a god complex sometimes, where you think you’re the most fucked-up person who’s ever lived. Straight up, you’re not. And it can make people behave really selfishly, and I love each of our interpretations of that concept,” Bridgers said.
The song “$20” has indie-music elements, with a punk edge to it. Of the four released, it’s the most upbeat song. The lyrics are densely packed with meaning, such as, “Mama told me that it don’t run/ On wishes but that I should have fun/ Pushing the flowers that come up/ Into the front of a shotgun/ So many hills to die on.” Yet, the song still finds a way to keep the listener engaged and immersed in sound, especially with Baker’s melodic riffs.
“Emily I’m Sorry” is rumored to be about Emily Bannon, a voiceover artist who had a romantic relationship with Bridgers back in 2018. Bannon also appeared in Bridgers’ “Kyoto” music video. “True Blue” relates to ideas of moving away from home, finding yourself, trust and love. The phrase “true blue” refers to being “marked by unswerving loyalty (as to a party).”
The group will be performing at Coachella in April, and then will tour throughout the summer, with artists Clairo, Dijon and Bartees Strange.
Paige Hanson can be found at [email protected].
