Ahead of US Mother’s Day in May, Lucy Dacus has shared her devastating new song ‘My Mother & I’. Following her Valentine’s Day cover of ‘La Vie En Rose’, this is the first original composition of her ongoing 2019 holiday song series, which will also include singles tied to US Independence Day, Springsteen’s Birthday, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s.

‘My Mother & I’ is a lullaby of sorts, about “babies born in the month of May” that are “down to earth” and “see eye to eye” and “dig our feet in,” but at its core, it’s a brutally frank exploration of body image and the emotional form it takes when passed down generationally.

In Lucy’s words: “Being adopted has encouraged me to consider what mothers pass on through blood and body, and what they impart in the way of socialization and context. We -- daughters, and all children -- easily inherit the shame and fear of our mothers, but also the pride, self-assurance, and lessons of love. This song focuses on body image and the distinction between the body and the soul, which I can hardly claim to have clarity about to this day. I also reflect on traits my mother and I share as Taurean women- how we are steadfast but headstrong, empathetic but grounded, and dedicated to finding and giving reliable love and comfort.”

Dacus recently announced a run of summer UK and European tour dates, including a London headline show at EartH on June 5, alongside shows in Leeds, Nottingham, Edinburgh and Manchester. She is also confirmed for festival slots including Primavera Sound, Roskilde and Best Kept Secret among others.

A glance at her worldwide touring schedule in 2019 shows little sign that Lucy Dacus is slowing down, and in fact, she will release a series of songs titled 2019 to celebrate. Recorded in here-and-there studio spurts over the last two years, 2019 will be released later this year as a physical EP, and will be made up of originals and cover songs tied to specific holidays, each of which will be released around their respective date: Valentine’s Day, Taurus season and US Mother’s Day, American Independence Day, Springsteen’s Birthday, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s.

In honour of Valentine’s Day, Dacus has released a cover of Edith Piaf’s ‘La Vie En Rose’ sung in both French and English. Dacus’ clear vocals and faint vibrato float over the chiming piano, a starry-eyed, upbeat take on the classic tune, and a hint at her pop-star potential.  “From the first time I heard it, I thought ‘La Vie En Rose’ was a perfect song. Hearing it, I knew that, one day, I would fall in love,” says Dacus, adding “I want someone to listen to this while running at top speed to the doorstep of the person they adore, ready to profess their deep, undying love. (PS, there’s a longer story about singing this song as a duet with my middle school janitor, but it is not concise).”

Dacus uses her gift as a songwriter to help understand and cope with the world around her, including making sense of national holidays, often more geared towards social media boasts and manufactured consumerism than authentic celebration.  “What is going on,” she asks herself on these days, retreating from the heightened expectations of holidays to figure out what to make of them and to find her own meaning.  “I've collected some songs from trying to answer that question,” she says, and “this series seems like the right place to put them next to each other.  These songs are self-contained, not indicative of a new direction, just a willingness to do something different and sometimes even out of character.”

Tour Dates:

5/31 - Barcelona, Spain - Primavera Festival

1/6 - Hilvarenbeek, NL - Best Kept Secret Festival

8/6 - Porto, PT - NOS Primavera Sound

29/6 – 6/7 - Roskilde, DE - Roskilde Festival