Lucy Dacus works out frustrations with America on new track, “Forever Half Mast”

Lucy Dacus is most of us these days. As an ‘ode’ to Independence Day, the boygenius singer has shared a new single, “Forever Half Mast”, a musical embodiment of the inner struggle many of us have as Americans, “where much of our pride lives in tandem with injustice and suffering,” as she puts it. The song is incredibly relatable to many; there is an inner unrest that comes with being American. While the soft guitars give way to a quiet, distinctly American country sound that is comfortable in its turbulent history, the lyrics are anything but. “They were wrong when they said forget the past / Let your flag fly at forever half mast,” she sings, indirectly reminding fellow Americans that the past is always bound to repeat itself. Listen below.

“There is a daily dissonance one endures as an American wherein much of our joy is counterweighted by shame, where much of our pride lives in tandem with injustice and suffering,” Dacus says. “‘Forever Half Mast’ is about confronting this unavoidable culpability as an American citizen and consumer.  Instead of allowing this guilt to paralyze us, we should try to let it influence us in positive ways.”

“Forever Half Mast” comes on the heels of her Valentine’s Day-inspired single/cover, “La Vie En Rose”, and her ode to Mother’s Day and Taurus Season, “My Mother & I.” And she’s set to release more of these holiday-themed singles, including tracks tied to Springsteen’s Birthday, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year’s, along with a physical EP that will arrive in the fall. Dacus is also on tour for much of the year, with all dates below and tickets here.