The band you didn’t know you needed in your life! Whether its Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker or Phoebe Bridgers that roped you into their harmonious story telling on their self-titled debut EP in 2018, it’s no denying that they rock! In an indie-folk infused style, boygenius opens up the floor for each member to shine with their introspective lyricism.
To celebrate the release of their debut album the record, here are some things to know about the three craftswomen.
The band is an indie supergroup
In case you somehow missed it, boygenius are classed as a supergroup. Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus are each individual artists with burgeoning careers in their own right. They have distinct yet overlapping fan bases which pull together a great hybrid offering, and their debut LP is sure to deliver on this promise. As great vocalists and writers, their harmonies are set to be quite the treat for indie fans.
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The band didn’t really intend on writing a full-length album
At least, according to journalist Elif Batuman, the three bandmembers had their own solo careers to deal with and so there was mutual apprehension about taking up one another’s time to write and produce more music. But a car ride where Phoebe caused a detour due to asking Julien and Lucy to listen to a particular song (‘Trapeze Swinger’ by Iron & Wine), led to organic creative musings and thus inspired them to get back into the studio. The origins of their debut full-length seemed almost serendipitous. This story is what inspired Dacus to write the song ‘Leonard Cohen’.
The collaboration started with just two, and a book club
The inception of boygenius can actually be traced back to when Dacus and Baker were first touring their debut albums respectively, in the prime of their early 20s. The two met backstage at a show in Washington D.C in 2016 and talked a matter of subjects and found a mutual interest in literature. Dacus gave Baker her email and before you knew it, a book club and pen pal friendship was formed. Not long after, Baker invited Bridgers into the mix and the rest is history! The book club (now consisting of three) also still stands today.
On the cover of the Rolling Stone!
You couldn’t miss it really, because boygenius took a unique approach to generating exposure, by replicating the iconic Nirvana photoshoot of 1994. A cultural statement of sorts, which objectively seems risky, but the three pull it off with their unrivalled confidence. Of course, with a feminist ally in Kurt Cobain, this concept was executed effectively. It was playful, yet staunch, and it adds a real edge to their overtly unapologetic aesthetic.
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They’re headlining Coachella
Featuring a spot at both weekends of the Californian eutopia, boygenius will fill the air with their harmonies to celebrate the fresh offering in style. It’s quite the statement, and quite the unique opportunity to witness a supergroup – as there aren’t many around. We will be looking forward to any precious footage of the band’s performance from Coachella. If you’re lucky enough to witness it firsthand, try get a good word in for a New Zealand appearance!
The band is going on tour!
With Coachella representing the major bill, the band have also announced that there will be a North American tour. The tour boasts an indie artist support army that is sure to delight, with Carly Rae Jepsen, Claud, Bartees Strange, Broken Social Scene, and Illuminati Hotties.
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the record took a month to make
Recorded at famed producer Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La Studio, the album was recorded over the period of January 2022, the three of them helming recording and producing, alongside co-producer Catherine Marks. This was quite the contrast to the four days that the collaboration took to record and produce their self-titled EP in 2018. They worked on the debut in secrecy, beginning to conceptualise shortly after Bridgers released her critically acclaimed sophomore release, Punisher, in June 2020.
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They released a multi-track music video directed by Kristen Stewart
Upon the release day of the record, the band also released a combined music video for the initial three singles the world was privy to. Titled “the film”, the video was released on YouTube, featuring a visual representation of ‘$20’ by Julien Baker, ‘Emily I’m Sorry’ by Phoebe Bridgers, and ‘True Blue’, by Lucy Dacus. The songs each depicted with stylistic individuality, with Baker’s showcasing younger versions of the band members, Bridgers’s lamenting while monster trucks swivel around a dirt track, and Dacus’ is very blue indeed, with the bandmates having fun painting a room. Check it out!
The debut album from boygenius, the record, is available to listen now!
