Lucy Dacus has just released a new single titled “Brando.” This is the fourth single off her upcoming new album Home Video. Dacus is an alternative indie-rock singer from Richmond, Virginia who is signed to Matador Records. 

Despite being a vulnerable and gentle track, “Brando” is the most uptempo single Dacus has released from her album thus far. Featuring a four on the floor beat, soothing vocals and a soft guitar top melody that takes over the song, “Brando” uniquely blends many of the elements Dacus excels at. The track features a variety of instrumentation with a synth bass, guitars, and percussion, complementing Dacus’ subtle vocal melodies. Dacus also uses great storytelling and songwriting on the track. 

According to Dacus, the song is about a “very dramatic friend” of hers from high school who “claimed to know [her] better than anyone else,” but in reality he didn’t. In the chorus Dacus sings, “you never knew me like you thought you did,” multiple times. Dacus also writes “and I’m laughing cause you think you’re Brando but you’ll never come close,” a reference to how this guy lived like he believed he was the main character of a movie. Dacus even says, “He showed me a lot of amazing movies and music, but I think he was more interested in using me as a scrapbook of his own tastes than actually getting to know me.” 

Dacus’ new album Home Video is scheduled to come out on June 25. It’s said to be her most personal album to date. This will be her 3rd full length album, with her most recent LP being Historian in 2018. Following her album release, Dacus will be going on tour with Bright Eyes in July 2021. Dacus is also creating a “Brando” music video contest, where fans can submit videos of them dancing, skateboarding, or other activities for a chance to be in the official music video.