I’m playing some museums and special places across the US this February. Mostly new songs.

2/18: New York
2/20: Chicago
2/22: San Francisco
2/24: Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/rmWWNiVRop

— Lucy Dacus (@lucydacus) December 16, 2024

    The shows were announced in January and the singer, famously known for the emotionally staggering track ‘Night shift’, has recently spoken on the significance of the London venue for this show. The Museum opened in June 2004 at the original site of the Foundling Hospital, founded in 1739. The hospital was the UK’s first children’s charity and public art gallery. The Museum commemorates this as ‘the only cultural institution in the UK to celebrate people who have been in care, and all those who care for them’, with curation of art, music, writing and objects. 

 

 

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Dacus has spoken about her connection with the cause as the artist herself was adopted. She explains the importance of contemporary support for young people in care, revealing in an interview with The Guardian that she invited trainees to the performance to show them, “hey, I’m doing cool shit – you can do cool shit.”. The inspiring artist has also discussed the significance of Museums and churches when touring her new music with the album cover presenting a Renaissance-style painting of the singer by artist Will St John. In Wallpaper‘s interview with Dacus, she explores the significance of singing queer personal stories in historical spaces where this has ‘probably never happened’, noting that when performing in churches, the thought occurred to her that ‘there were years in the past in this church where I would have been killed’. This amplifies the significance of such a performance, striking a chord with the queer community.

She also notices the importance of historical landmarks and inclusion of other artists such as Will St John as well as several actors and artists from Cara Delevigne to Christina Moreland in the music video for ‘Best Guess’ off her latest album ‘Forever is a feeling’.

Her inclusion of inspirational artists is important in a contemporary context, as she discusses her thoughts on AI, an issue widely discussed in the music industry as of late. Dacus expresses that she finds the issue a frustrating shortcut to art that negates the ‘internal process. That’s the entire reason for me’. Her choice of locations in these intimate shows speaks to a love of the human-ness and history of art as well as its organic creation.

Dacus will return to the UK on 26  June in London, following with a show in Edinburgh on 30 June and Manchester on 2 July where she will perform her latest album ‘Forever is a feeling’, her fourth studio album released on 28 March. The 13 track album is a sentimental acoustic pop release embracing love and life.

I’m playing some more special shows in Europe and the UK in March, tickets will be very limited and available through a lottery system ~ sign up for your show of choice to enter the lottery at https://t.co/8RUpbaIwdW now through Feb 3 10am et / 3pm gmt / 4pm cet pic.twitter.com/oMpk3n4tnc

— Lucy Dacus (@lucydacus) January 28, 2025

Dacus first gained attention with her 2016 debut album, ‘No Burden’, which introduced her distinctive blend of poetic lyricism and understated vocals. The album’s success led to a well-deserved deal with Matador Records, paving the way for 2018’s ‘Historian’ and 2021’s ‘Home Video’, both of which cemented her as one of indie music’s most enticing voices. Songs like ‘Night Shift’, ‘Please Stay’, and ‘Hot & Heavy’ have become staples of her repertoire, resonating deeply with fans. 

Alongside her solo work, Dacus is also known as a member of the indie supergroup boygenius, where she collaborates with Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. The trio’s chemistry and harmonies have made their music particularly powerful, with their 2023 album ‘The Record’ reaching number one on the official album charts. 

Her upcoming shows will take place in smaller venues across the UK and Europe. There are two shows in London at Sir John Soane’s Museum, along with others in Paris, Amsterdam, and Berlin. Due to the limited number of tickets available, a lottery system has been put in place to ensure fairness for fans. The setlists are likely to include fan favourites as well as songs from her upcoming album, ‘Forever Is a Feeling’, which is set for release on 28 March 2025. 

Dacus has already teased the album with two new tracks, ‘Limerence’ and her latest release, ‘Ankles’, which has been accompanied by a dazzling music video. ‘Forever Is a Feeling’ promises to be one of her most ambitious projects yet, featuring collaborations with artists such as Hozier, Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Blake Mills. The album’s production is expected to introduce new layers to her sound, already showcased in the singles. 

With the tour set to coincide with the release of ‘Forever Is a Feeling’, these performances will be the perfect opportunity for fans to hear the new material in a raw and up-close setting, in contrast to the larger stages she is set to perform on in America. As one of indie music’s most gifted songwriters, Dacus continues to prove that her music thrives in spaces where genuine connection and emotion take priority. 2025 is shaping up to be a defining year for her, with new music and a growing legacy as one of the most heartfelt voices in the modern world of music. 

Ticket information can be found here.

“Kissing Lessons”, a B-side from Dacus’ most recent album, is an upbeat, urgent tune, and is also one of the songwriter’s shortest songs to date. The song wastes no time introducing itself with a lightly overdriven guitar starting things off, soon joined by a subdued drum beat that quickly blossoms into a thick, driving rhythm as a bass guitar swoops in to glue everything together. Over the top of the warmly overdriven instrumental, Dacus delivers a tongue-in-cheek anecdote from her pre-teen years, singing about a close friend who she refers to as “Rachel”. Dacus said of the song in a newsletter: “I have a new song called ‘Kissing Lessons’ which is actually an old song I wrote in 2017 and tried to put in Home Video but it didn’t fit in because it’s too fun.”

As part of the promotion for this song, Dacus had flyers put up around her home city of Richmond, Virginia with the number (804) 409-4451 printed on them. Anyone who called the number would then hear the new song prior to its official release.

“Kissing Lessons” will be part of an upcoming 7” vinyl release that will also include the song “Thumbs Again” , an alternate version of the singer-songwriter’s recent track “Thumbs”. The 7” will be released on June 3^rd, and is available for pre-order here.

Dacus’ new single comes hot on the heels of her latest album release; 2021’s Home Video, which was very warmly received, and has found a very well-deserved place on many year-end lists with its sonic beauty and hard-hitting lyricism concerning the tribulations and anxieties of an upbringing spent surrounded by religion. The album manages to be autobiographical, with Dacus making many references to her childhood and returning to her hometown as an adult, whilst also tackling subject matter that speaks to a great deal of people on a personal level. You can view the cleverly constructed lyric video for “Brando” from the album below.

Dacus will also be going on tour soon, embarking on a US leg on the 9^th of February. She will also be visiting the UK and Europe in March and April. Several of the singer’s UK dates are sold out, however any remaining tickets can be purchased here. The UK dates are listed down below.

18/03/2022- Brudenell Social Cub- Leeds (SOLD OUT)
19/03- Brudenell Social Club- Leeds (SOLD OUT)
20/03- St. Lukes- Glasgow (SOLD OUT)
21/03- Olympia Theatre- Dublin
23/03- Gorilla- Manchester (SOLD OUT)
24/03- Marble Factory- Bristol
25/03- Kentish Town Forum- London
26/03- Rough Trade Records, In Store Performance- London
27/03- Concorde 2- Brighton

Boygenius will feature six tracks, three of which were released on the 21st of August 2018. According to NME each artist brought one song and one idea to the recording session, which they then worked on together. The three song released are the Dacus-led “Bite The Hand,” the Bridgers-led “Me & My Dog,” and the Baker-led “Stay Down.”

“When we met, Lucy and Phoebe and I were in similar places in our lives and our musical endeavours, but also had similar attitudes toward music that engendered an immediate affinity. Lucy and Phoebe are incredibly gifted performers, and I am a fan of their art outside of being their friends, but they are also both very wise, discerning and kind people whom I look up to in character as much as in talent,” says Baker.

Speaking about the EP “It seemed obvious to record a 7-inch for tour, although many adult men will try to take credit for the idea,” says Bridgers. “When we got together, we had way more songs than we expected and worked so well together, that we decided to make a full EP. Everyone seemed both confident enough to present ideas and fight for their individual vision, but considerate and humble enough to make decisions which ultimately served the song. It was a process that required a balance of determination and forthrightness with graciousness and pliability, and I think that we all did a good job of enacting that,” Baker continued.

The US tour will see Baker and Bridgers co-headline with support from Dacus. Each musician will play a solo set, while a press release suggests fans “might be able to hear some Boygenius songs along the way.” The trio are set to hit the road on the 4th of  November in Nashville and are expected to conclude their tour on the 30th of November in Los Angeles. While, Bakers UK leg of her tour begins on the 24th of August in Manchester and is set to conclude on the 29th of August in London. Meanwhile, Dacus’ UK leg of her tour begins on the 22nd of September in Norwich and is set to conclude on the 31st of September in London.

Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers with Lucy Dacus — 2018 Tour Dates
04/11/2018 – Ryman Auditorium
06/11 – Brooklyn Steel – New York
07/11 – Brooklyn Steel – New York
08/11 – Orpheum Theatre – Boston
10/11 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto
11/11 – Majestic Theatre – Detroit
12/11 – Thalia Hall – Chicago
13/11 – Thalia Hall – Chicago
15/11 – The Pageant – St Louis
16/11 – The Sylvee – Madison
17/11  – First Avenue – Minneapolis
19/11 – Ogden Theatre – Denver
20/11 –  The Depot – Salt Lake City
23/11 – Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver
24/11 – The Moore Theatre – Seattle
25/11 –  Crystal Ballroom – Portland
27/11 –  Fox Theatre – Oakland
29/11 – The Observatory North Park – San Diego
30/11 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles

Julien Baker — 2018 Tour Dates
24/09 – Gorilla – Manchester
25/09 – St Luke’s – Glasgow
27/09 – Vicar Street – Dublin
29/09 – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire – London

Lucy Dacus — 2018 Tour Dates
22/10 – Norwich Arts Centre – Norwich
23/10 – Thekla – Bristol
25/10 – The Cookie – Leicester
26/10 – Mono – Glasgow
27/10 – Now Wave – Manchester
29/10 – The Haunt – Brighton
31/10 – Islington Assembly Hall – London