By: Aumrita Savdharia
Boygenius is an indie rock group consisting of members Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers. Bridgers became friends with Baker when they toured together in 2016. Shortly after, Dacus met Baker when she opened for her in 2016, and the two became friends. It wasn’t until 2018 that Dacus and Bridgers met, but they quickly bonded over their love of songwriting and shared experiences as women of the indie rock scene. The trio officially came together in 2018 and recorded their self-titled debut EP in a mere four days. The most riveting part, however, was that the band decided on removing all men from the studio as they recorded music in order to maintain the sanctity of the writing process, as Bridgers explains, “Men are taught to be entitled to space and that their ideas should be heard because they’re great ideas and women are taught the opposite… We made an active decision to kick them out because we just talked differently to each other.” By creating space for themselves in the music scene, they attempt to create space for other women as well by inspiring the music industry to become less competitive and more supportive for women.
Their self-titled debut EP features six songs: Bite The Hand, Me & My Dog, Souvenir, Stay Down, Salt In The Wound, and Ketchum, ID. While the recording and writing happened in 5 days, each member of the band came to the studio with a few ideas to facilitate the process. The first song on the EP, Bite The Hand, has distinct aspects of Dacus’ style built into it, such as the fuzzy guitar and her strong vocal lead while the others harmonize in the back. The song shuffles back and forth between an unsure tone from Dacus with rhetorical questions such as, “Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? What do you wanna say? What do you think will change?” and a more definitive tone with lyrics such as “I can’t love you how you want me to” as Bridgers and Baker chime in the background saying “I can’t love you”. This song’s back and forth energy is a prime example of the group’s ability to not only match each other musically, but also on a more energetic level. The next song, “Me & My Dog”, highlights Bridgers’ style with more delicate lyrics like, “I cried at your show with the teenagers.” and a more hollowed out song with echoed vocals in the background, reminiscent of Elliot Smith’s layered vocal style in his 1997 hit “Say Yes”. The third track on the EP, “Souvenir”, falls somewhere between Bridgers’ folk-esque music and Baker’s solitary style creating a distinct scene in the listener’s mind with haunting vocals. “Stay Down” is Baker’s ballad, where she explores introspective thoughts, but the song often fails to be memorable. “Salt In The Wound” is a sublime tune where the fuzzy guitar from earlier in the album comes back with a vengeance and the lyrics are more poignant than ever. The final song on the album, “Ketchum, ID”, beautifully captures the experience of homesickness in an acoustic landscape. “I am never anywhere, anywhere I go. When I’m home, I’m never there long enough to know”, they longingly sing. Overall, the EP marries the trio’s talents and distinct sounds in a simply irresistible way, leaving the listener wanting more.
The group’s widely anticipated debut album, titled The Record, is coming out on March 31st with twelve new tracks. There are also four singles from the album out right now: Not Strong Enough, $20, Emily I’m Sorry, and True Blue. “Not Strong Enough" is a beautiful blend of the trio’s songwriting styles and voices, whereas “$20" is a classic Julien Baker-style indie rock hit with a strong lead guitar part. On the other hand, “Emily I’m Sorry" truly captures the essence of Bridgers’ emotive lyrics with moody vocals and incredible production. “True Blue” is the most unique of the singles as it displays Dacus’ nostalgic and retrospective lyricism alongside beautiful harmonies from Bridgers and Baker. The wistful and yearning energy of boygenius coupled with the harsh truthfulness of their lyrics creates an unmistakably genius sound for the band, a theme that is bound to find continuity on their next album.
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