Boygenius’ Julien Baker at 2024 Grammys: “This band is my family”
Boygenius have won an early hat trick of awards at the 2024 Grammys, with Julien Baker telling the audience about her familial bond with the band and music.
The group – which is completed by Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus – were nominated for six awards at this year’s ceremony, including Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, Album Of The Year, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song.
While collecting their first award – Best Rock Performance for ‘Not Strong Enough’ – Lucy Dacus recalled the band’s childhood dreams of winning a Grammy. “Oh my god, I wanna throw up,” she began. “We were all delusional enough as kids to think this might happen to us one day.
“Phoebe would sing at Guitar Centre, hoping that she would get discovered, Julien was always in bands as a kid and wanted to play sold-out stadiums, and I would practice writing an acceptance speech and thank all the people that had been nice to me, like my bus driver and the guy that held the door at church.
“So I feel kind of like a kid because that was the last time something like this felt possible. This isn’t real.”
Baker then added: “Music saved my life, everyone can be in a band, this band is my family.”
Moments later, Boygenius were announced as the winners of Best Rock Song, also for ‘Not Strong Enough’. Baker took control of that acceptance speech, telling the audience: “All I ever wanted to do in my life was be in a band. I feel like music is the language I used to find my family since I was a kid. I just wanna say thank you to everybody who ever watched me play and these guys for touring in a freaking van and a Prius.”
Bridgers added: “I owe these boys everything. I love you guys so much; you’re the best.”
Boygenius also collected the award for Best Alternative Music Album for ‘The Record’. They are still in the running for Album Of The Year, which will be announced during the televised ceremony. Bridgers also won a Grammy earlier tonight for her collaboration with SZA, ‘Ghost In The Machine’, which was victorious in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category.
Speaking to NME last year, Boygenius reflected on the moment they found out they were Grammys nominees. “I think for a band that over-intellectualise a lot, I was surprised by how simple my excitement was,” Dacus said. “I was just like, ‘Wait… this rocks, and I don’t really need to think about it or theorise or make it any deeper than that – it’s just kind of sick’. If you know us personally, that is a huge thing – not having to write a whole thesis statement about something. So it feels really pure.”
Meanwhile, the band reportedly announced their hiatus at a secret show last week. “We’re going away for the foreseeable future,” fans quoted them as announcing on social media. “This is our last show, and we’re feeling it.”
The 2024 Grammys is currently taking place in Los Angeles, with SZA leading the nominations going into the event. Follow along with all the winners as they’re announced on NME.com here.
The post Boygenius’ Julien Baker at 2024 Grammys: “This band is my family” appeared first on NME.
Rhian Daly
NME
