genius at work (l-r): Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus at SXSW

The biggest viral moment of SXSW happened last Tuesday (3/14) before anyone received their conference badges when boygenius played a set at the Austin Bergstrom Airport. It was a good way to note an upcoming arrival, namely the 3/31 drop (avec vinyl) of the record, their first for Interscope. The new set is predicted to debut in the neighborhood of 50k.

The trio, which dropped its debut EP on Matador in 2018, consists of indie hall-of-famers Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. Both Dacus and Baker have released critically acclaimed and fan-beloved records on Matador, while Bridgers' work has launched her into the stratosphere of indie visibility; her last album, Punisher (Dead Oceans), received two Grammy nominations and boasted a video helmed by pop-culture phenom Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Bridgers earned further buzz via a killer, guitar-smashing SNL performance in 2021 and guest appearances on records by Taylor Swift ("Nothing New" on the re-recorded Red) and SZA ("Ghost in the Machine" on SOS). Bridgers will be Swift’s opener for 12 stadium gigs in May. She joined The 1975 and SZA onstage at their KIA Forum and Madison Square Garden shows, respectively.

boygenius will have a high-profile slot at Coachella in April, after which the band will be one of the headliners for AEG's inaugural re:SET tour, which will hit 12 cities over three weekends, including Pasadena on 6/3, with Clairo, Bartees Strange and Dijon opening.

The first single, "Not Strong Enough," from their forthcoming full-length is heading toward the Triple A Top 10 and just finding its footing at Alternative. Based on the four tracks currently available from the record, it's obvious why the album is being hailed as an important musical event; beyond being a showcase for the artists’ formidable talent, it’s an illustration of the alchemy that three women who admire and respect each other can generate.