Youth Lagoon Releases Dreamy ‘Lucy Takes A Picture’ Single

Youth Lagoon (Trevor Powers) dropped his second single of 2024 today, “Lucy Takes A Picture,” along with an accompanying music video. Powers wrote “Lucy Takes A Picture” at his home in Idaho and then headed to Los Angeles to record the song with co-producer Rodaidh McDonald (Weyes Blood, The xx, Gil Scott-Heron).

“Lucy Takes A Picture” follows the January release of the single “Football” and the June 2023 arrival of full-length album Heaven Is A Junkyard. The relative flood of Youth Lagoon material comes after Powers took an eight-year break from the project.

“Once in a while there’s a song that feels like I’ve been trying to write it my whole life,” Powers explained of his new single. “Lucy is one of those.” The cut finds the singer-songwriter detailing his personal experience. “My only concern now with music is bringing the inner world to life,” added Powers. “It’s not about making something better — it’s about making something true. Songs were a lot harder to write when I hated myself. When my soul changed, my music did too.”

Trevor Powers also shared the following in regards to the genesis of “Lucy Takes A Picture”:

“In February, I walked past a bus stop and noticed a small piece of paper tucked into the bars of a metal bench. In shaky handwriting that looked both deranged and Biblical, the note said, ‘This is the tale of my resurrection. I died so I could live again.’ l found the nearest patch of grass and lay down like a dummy. This note was either a message from an angel or the ravings of a pharmaceutical junkie — maybe both. Either way it was just for me. I don’t think it’s possible to have true character without first catching a glimpse of hell. Maybe that’s what it meant? In the words of W.H. Auden, ‘Don’t get rid of my devils, because my angels will go too.’ Whatever this poetic rascal, angel or imp was getting at, these words rang the bell of my soul. I went home and wrote ‘Lucy Takes a Picture.’”

Powers reunited with his longtime creative partner Tyler T. Williams to make the “Lucy Takes A Picture” video. Watch the resulting visual below: