“Reading influences me even more than music”: Lucy Dacus gives us a lesson in literature
We caught up with indie artist Lucy Dacus ahead of her milestone performance with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
If you’ve listened to Lucy Dacus’ music, you’ll know literature has had a profound influence on her songwriting. The American singer-songwriter has soared to acclaim over the last decade thanks to her poetic lyricism, delivered by warm vocals atop the strum of the guitar, all of which are on display in her early hits such as 2016’s I Don’t Wanna Be Funny Anymore. Her status as an indie phenomenon was consolidated as she formed the Grammy-winning band boygenius in 2018, alongside members Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers.
2026 has seen the 31-year-old touring her 2025 album Forever Is A Feeling across North America. Her stretch of live performances is set to conclude in September as Dacus takes to LA’s beloved amphitheatre Hollywood Bowl alongside its in-house orchestra. The artist’s impact doesn’t end there. With $1 of every ticket sale from her North American run going towards queer and trans youth, in partnership with The Ally Coalition, she proves herself to be a force, both on and off the stage.
We recently caught up with the artist, who took us on a 72 second tour of her favourite bookstores in LA, including Reverie Bookstand, Stories and Heavy Manners. Joining her was Phoenix Rousiamani, the composer behind her Hollywood Bowl show.
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