“Immaculate”: Lucy Dacus on the storytelling genius of Andy Shauf
Few have as much creative musicality running through their veins as Lucy Dacus. Even after releasing her first-ever EP, Girls Back Home, she knew she could do even better and effectively erased the entire thing from her discography. From then on, she vowed she would only ever release the kind of music she would forever be proud of, a mantra which paid off in 2016 following the release of No Burden.
Dacus’ seemingly infinite flow of creativity likely stems from her ability to take in and absorb anything she is presented with. In conversations about her favourite music, many of her choices are either albums by friends, people she once crossed paths with, or those recommended by the people who are closest to her. Naturally, she has also gravitated towards rock sounds, but her influences are driven more by what moves her than anything related to genre.
In her own work, Dacus masterfully balances the past, present, and future while injecting her songwriting with a delicate charm. She writes about the things a lot of people feel and experience, but her subtle tongue-in-cheek manner speaks to an artist unafraid to be completely authentic, even if the words themselves come across as surprising at times.
However, even during Dacus’ more subdued and intimate moments, her music exudes the kind of confidence only a skilled professional could pull off, which is compounded by her additional knowledge of exceptional guitar playing and the power of a meticulously placed lick. In ‘Night Shift’, for instance, her guitar work almost fades into the background in a delicate interplay between atmosphere and mood.
As a master player herself, Dacus knows how to spot exceptional talent in others, an ability that becomes clear every time she is encouraged to discuss her favourite songs and albums. Discussing her favourite albums for an interview with Louder, for instance, her choices ranged from the greatest singers in the current landscape and adept lyricists to some of the most accomplished guitar players.
Despite describing Alabama Shakes’ Sound and Colour as an album that “changed my life”, it’s clear, judging by her impassioned description, that Andy Shauf’s work also stands out as a game-changer. In her view, his 2016 opus, The Party, demonstrated the singer’s “immaculate” songwriting capabilities, setting a new bar for storytelling in music.
“Andy Shauf’s songwriting is so immaculate,” she said. “And he’s such a good storyteller. I feel like his music is that happy medium between music and book.” Expanding on his appeal, she said: “It’s also the fact that he does almost everything himself. Even though I don’t do everything myself, I resonate with that ethos, as I wish I could do everything too but I just can’t play drums, period. But I respect people who can.”
As a concept album, it’s easy to see why Dacus became endeared to The Party. It shares many similarities with her own music, particularly when it comes to her unique interpretation of universally resonant themes and ability to craft narratives centred on the complexities of relationships. The Party also exudes a certain solitary quality, almost like a diary entry set to music, revealing the same type of vulnerability that makes Dacus forever intriguing.
