Lucy Dacus Explains Why Going Public With Julien Baker Romance Makes Her a Little ‘Uncomfortable’
"This is the story that defines my life," the singer said of her bandmate-turned-girlfriend.
Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus of boygenius perform onstage during the 36th Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert and Gala at Carnegie Hall on March 1, 2023 in New York City.
After sparking romance rumors for more than a year, Lucy Dacus finally confirmed that she and Boygenius bandmate Julien Baker were dating in March — but there’s still one thing about sharing her relationship publicly that makes the “Night Shift” singer “uncomfortable,” she says.
While speaking to The Forty-Five in an interview published Monday, Dacus began by talking about how her new album, Forever Is a Feeling, started out as a gift to her girlfriend, with the Virginia native initially confessing her feelings for the guitarist through some of the songs on the LP. “It was like, ‘OK, feelings are on the table, and we ought not touch them, because our relationship is too important, and I support what you want for your life,'” Dacus reflected.
“Or like, ‘Wow, what a surprise that we’re saying this out loud,'” she continued. “‘But let’s ultimately just say that we matter to each other and move on.’ That was real. That’s how I felt.”
Now that they’re together, however, Dacus says she isn’t exactly excited about the fact that fans will now be combing through the lyrics on Forever Is a Feeling for clues about her relationship with Baker. “In a way, that’s the bit that makes me feel uncomfortable,” she told the publication.
“The lore of it all – people treating our lives like a Marvel Universe,” added the songwriter. “But then again, what is lore if not the story? Some parts of my story I keep for myself, but this is the story that defines my life. So what am I gonna do?”
The interview comes a full seven years after Dacus, Baker and Phoebe Bridgers first established Boygenius, debuting the supergroup in 2018 with a self-titled EP. The trio reunited in 2023 to drop their first full-length album as a group, with The Record winning three Grammys at the following year’s awards show.
When finally addressing her relationship with her bandmate for the first time publicly last month, Dacus said in an interview with The New Yorker, “It’s been interesting, because I want to protect what is precious in my life, but also to be honest, and make art that’s true … Maybe a healthier way to think about it is that [my relationship]’s not actually fragile.”
She later told People, “It’s funny to just say it so plainly, because I feel like there’s all of this tension of people guessing.”
“I don’t know, we just talked about it kind of recently, and we were like, ‘What is actually at risk for people knowing this?'” she continued. “We wanted to be protective because it matters so much. I hope to God people knowing won’t make it a less true or pleasant experience … She’s ready to be telling people, too. So, from us to you, we are in love.”
