Lucy Dacus is getting her debut album back — and giving fans a previously unreleased song to mark the occasion.
The singer-songwriter announced a 10th anniversary reissue of No Burden today, along with the fan-favorite track “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye,” which was written around the same time as the rest of the record but never released. Dacus also filled in for Japanese Breakfast at Bumbershoot Festival over the weekend, covering “Paprika” as a tribute to Michelle Zauner.
The Masters Are Back
Dacus explained in a statement on Instagram that she chose today for a specific reason: she got her masters back. No Burden originally came out in February 2016.
“No Burden is mine,” she wrote. “This day always seemed so far in the future, but here we are.”
The reissue will feature new art and close with “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye,” which Dacus said she wrote alongside the other songs on the album.
Writing Before She Was a Musician
In her full statement, Dacus reflected on the period when she wrote the record — a time before she considered herself a musician.
“I wrote these songs when I would not have called myself a musician, while I was working other jobs.”
She listed her odd jobs at the time: box office attendant, yearbook photo editor, and “a terrible waitress.” She wrote lyrics on sticky notes and napkins, hummed melodies on her walk home, and figured out guitar parts before bed. She was paying $195 a month for her share of a room she shared with two friends in Richmond in 2014.
“I didn’t think any of you would hear them,” she wrote. “Maybe 50 of you?”
Hearing Her Own Voice
Dacus said she recently listened to No Burden for the first time in years — and blushed. She said she had not yet found her voice as a singer.
“I literally hadn’t found my voice,” she wrote. “I wasn’t used to hearing myself through a mic, into headphones.”
She noted that she sounds more southern on the record than she does now, which she called “sweet.” It made her wonder whether she has “subconsciously packed that away a bit,” something she said would make her sad.
One Day in the Studio
The album was recorded in a single day. Dacus said the band mostly played the songs live, sometimes in just one take, then moved on. A couple of hours the next day went to recording “Trust” and some guitar overdubs.
“Can’t imagine working like that now,” she wrote.
She described the era as “before anyone was watching,” and acknowledged she cannot return to that mindset.
“I’m in the after, and No Burden was before,” she said.
A Tribute at Bumbershoot
Dacus stepped in for a pregnant Japanese Breakfast at Bumbershoot Festival over the weekend. She covered “Paprika” in tribute to Michelle Zauner.
The cover and the new song have both been shared online for fans to check out.
The Reissue Details
The anniversary reissue of No Burden adds “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye” at the end and features new art. The record was originally released in February 2016.
| Release detail | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Original release | February 2016 |
| Recording | Mostly played live, sometimes one take |
| “Trust” | Recorded in a couple of hours the next day with guitar overdubs |
| “No Thank You, I Love You, Goodbye” | Previously unreleased, added to the reissue |
A Thank You to Longtime Fans
Dacus closed her statement by addressing the people who have been listening since the beginning.
“If you’re one of the people who started listening to me 10 years ago, I can’t believe you’re still here,” she wrote. “Thank you.”
The reissue marks a full circle moment for the record — one that Dacus said she can now romanticize from a distance, even as she recognizes how much has changed.
“I didn’t think any of you would hear them,” she wrote. “Maybe 50 of you? And those 50 know who they are.”
Source: stereogum.com
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