Lucy Dacus has opened up about Boygenuis coming to an end, sharing that “it immediately outpaced our expectations”.
The trio – comprising Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker – released two EPs with 2018’s self-titled and 2023’s ‘The Rest’. Their debut LP, 2023’s ‘The Record’ earned Boygenius their first UK Number One album and a glowing a five-star review from NME which stated that the project was “the instant classic we were hoping for”.
It also saw the supergroup earn three Grammys for Best Alternative Music Album, Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance. They were also awarded a BRIT for International Group Of The Year at the 2024 ceremony.
Speaking to NME in December 2023, Boygenius said that they liked the idea of the band’s future remaining “a surprise” after their debut LP ‘The Record’ was named our album of the year.
Baker continued: “I like having this band be something that, because it’s more ephemeral or whatever, it’s not concretely tied to one of us or a person we have to live in every day.
“It’s something we can revisit when we feel motivated to, or it’s a place we can retreat to. I like saving it as something sacred instead of feeling like I have to constantly grind on it.”
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In early 2024, the trio announced their hiatus at a secret show in LA. “We’re going away for the foreseeable future,” fans quoted them as saying. “This is our last show, and we’re feeling it.”
Now, Dacus has opened up about the end of Boygenuis and how it arrived at the “perfect time”. Speaking to The New Yorker in a feature about her forthcoming solo album ‘Forever Is A Feeling‘, Dacus discussed how the group took priority over her solo career and explained: “We had these big goals of playing sick shows. But it immediately outpaced our expectations. We just had to adjust. I’m still shocked”.
She continued: “That’s something all of us talk about and work on. I feel dissociated. I also feel like it could go away in a second. Because, if it can show up in a second, it can go away in a second.”
Dacus then revealed that Boygenius’ decision to take time off “came even before the record came out”. She continued: “We always said, ‘One year’.” She explained that group had focused on self-preservation, saying: “Let’s protect our friendship, let’s protect our energy, let’s not have each other feel pressure to keep it going for the others. It was so much fun, and I think we ended at the perfect time.”
The ‘Night Shift’ singer previously discussed Boygenius’ hiatus after the group won their BRIT award. In a social media post, Dacus wrote: “I feel lucky and grateful today, and most days. I’ll love Phoebe and Julien til the end of time. We’ll be missing you. Long live Boygenius.”
Elsewhere, her fourth studio album ‘Forever Is A Feeling’ is set for release on March 28 via Polydor/Geffen (pre-order/pre-save here). So far, four singles from the LP have been shared: ‘Talk’, ‘Ankles’ and ‘Limerence’ – both of which arrived in January – and last month’s ‘Best Guess’.
She recently revealed the 13-song tracklist of ‘Forever Is A Feeling’, which came with custom illustrations from Nicole Jaclyn Smith.
Among the 10 remaining tracks that fans have yet to hear are album opener ‘Calliope Prelude’, ‘Modigliani’, the title track ‘Forever Is A Feeling’, ‘Most Wanted Man’ and ‘Lost Time’. Hozier will also feature on the album, namely on the track ‘Bullseye’.
Though Hozier is the only featured guest listed so far, it was previously reported that the record will supposedly include contributions from Blake Mills, Bartees Strange, Madison Cunningham, Collin Pastore, Jake Finch and Melina Duterte. Dacus’ Boygenius bandmates Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker will also reportedly make appearances.
Dacus has also announced a run of UK and European shows for this summer, including a performance at the O2 Academy Brixton on June 26 – the Thursday of Glastonbury Festival 2025. The artist is currently scheduled to appear at Worthy Farm on Saturday, June 28.
On Monday June 30, she’ll continue her UK trek with a gig at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall before taking to the stage at Manchester Academy (July 2) and Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens (3). Dacus is then scheduled to play Roskilde Festival in Denmark on July 5. Tickets for the new dates are now on sale – you’ll be able to buy yours here.
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Lucy Dacus’ 2025 UK and European tour dates are:
JUNE
12 – Rockefeller, Oslo
16 – Paradiso, Amsterdam
19 – Astra, Berlin
24 – Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
25 – Trianon, Paris
26 – O2 Academy Brixton, London
30 – Usher Hall, Edinburgh
JULY
02 – Academy, Manchester
03 – Iveagh Gardens, Dublin
05 – Roskilde Festival, Roskilde
These dates will follow Dacus’ two intimate concerts at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London this month, as part of her ‘An Evening With Lucy Dacus’ tour. She has announced some small US gigs too, as well as a wider North American tour this spring (find any remaining tickets here).
As for Julien Baker, the musician recently performed a cover of System Of A Down’s ‘Toxicity’ with Jasmine.4.t at SXSW 2025. Two days prior, Baker and Torres performed their joint set, where they debuted a new song ‘Showdown’ from their upcoming debut country album, ‘Send A Prayer My Way’, out April 18 via Matador. You can pre-order and pre-save ‘Send A Prayer My Way’ here.
Elsewhere, it was recently rumoured that Phoebe Bridgers will make an appearance in a new Robert Pattinson film after being spotted on the set.
