Weekly Song Spotlight: Souvenir – Boygenius

Have you ever wondered what would happen if  three of indie music’s greatest songwriters came together? If so, the answer would be Boygenius, a “super group” formed in 2018 consisting of Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, and Phoebe Bridgers.

Known for their emotional and intricate songwriting, each member of the trio has a highly successful solo career.  So when they joined forces to release their first self titled EP in 2018 the music world was ecstatic.

The most popular song off the project, Souvenir is an acoustic powerhouse, with Dacus, Baker and Bridgers each taking a verse. Backed by an eloquent but understated guitar pattern the softness of their voices clash beautifully with the harsh reality of their lyrics.  The minimal use of instruments on the track highlights the emotion in the trios voices, creating an intimate environment for the listener.

Julien Baker kicks off the song with a haunting and introspective verse about her nightmares and bad luck along with her attempted solutions to remedy the problems.  By the time Souvenir concludes with Lucy Dacus’s verse, the listener has been taken on a roller-coaster of heavenly harmonies and emotions.  All three singers deliver unique and personal verses which when combined create a variegated and beautiful piece.

The strengths of both Souvenir and Boygenius root from the fact that this is not the writers first rodeo.  Bridgers, Baker and Dacus had established successful solo careers before branching off into collaborations such as Boygenius.  Their individual experience paired with their close friendship creates a prosperous and mature environment to create and record.

Collaborations between powerful female songwriters aren’t a rare occurrence in the music world. Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt made the successful 1987 collaborative album “Trio” together. More recently, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires joined forces in 2019 to form The Highwomen.  As Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus each reach a new stage of their music career, we might see more from Boygenius in the next few years.  But without any definite news we can only hope that they decide to reunite soon for another project.