Lucy Dacus is marking a decade since the release of her debut album No Burden, announcing a special anniversary reissue and unveiling a previously unreleased track that fans have long favored, titled “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye.”
No Burden came out in February 2016, but Dacus explained on Instagram that she selected this date because she has recently regained ownership of her master recordings. Here is her message, presented in a paraphrased form:
No Burden has reached its ten-year milestone. I crafted these songs when I wouldn’t yet call myself a musician, all while juggling other jobs. I’d formulate the lyrics in my head during shifts as a box office attendant, a yearbook photo editor, or a not-so-great waitress, or any of the various odd jobs I took to cover $195 for my monthly share of the room I shared with two friends (RIP 2014 Richmond rent). I’d scribble lines on sticky notes or napkins, hum them on my walk home, then figure out a guitar part before falling asleep. It’s easy to romanticize now. I didn’t expect anyone to hear them. Maybe fifty people? And those fifty know who they are.
I revisited the album after years and felt a blush creep in. I’ve heard people speak of the moment in abstract terms, but I literally hadn’t found my voice yet. I wasn’t used to hearing myself through a microphone and into headphones. I doubt I’ve sounded exactly like that before or since, and what’s captured is a record of me figuring it out. I even sound more Southern here, which is kind of sweet. It makes me wonder if I’ve subconsciously tucked that away, which would be sad. We only had one day to record, and with more time perhaps I would’ve found my footing, for better or worse.
We spent a couple hours the following day recording “Trust” and adding a few guitar overdubs, but for the most part we played the songs live, sometimes in a single take, and then moved on. I can’t imagine working that way now. It’s another thing I could romanticize. It felt different before anyone was watching. Not that I necessarily want to return to that mindset, I’m just noticing that I can’t. I’m living in what comes after, and No Burden was the moment before.
So it means the world to me that today I’ve regained ownership of my masters. No Burden now belongs to me. This day once seemed far off, but here we are. I’m reissuing it with new artwork, and I’ve added No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye at the end since I wrote that song around the same period as the others.
If you’re one of the people who started listening to me ten years ago, I can’t believe you’re still here. Thank you.
Dacus also stepped in for a pregnant Japanese Breakfast at Bumbershoot this weekend and paid tribute to Michelle Zauner with a cover of “Paprika.” Check that performance, along with “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye,” below.
