All Apologies: Lucy Dacus

What's your present state of mind and being?

I'm in Porto, Portugal, waiting to be taken to the airport, feeling tired and wired, very grateful for our show yesterday. It was our first time playing Portugal and tons of folks knew the words. I can't get over it.

What's the most overrated virtue?

Humility is important, but often I see people with very low self-esteem and confidence in the name of humility. Humility shouldn't get in the way of trying knew things, recognizing your worth, and valuing your work.

What one thing have you learnt from your parents?

English.

What the most desirable quality you look for in romantic partner?

Quick conflict resolution. It's easy to share good times with another person, but it's much more difficult to communicate through confusion and frustration, which are both inevitable throughout life.

What and where was the greatest meal you ever ate?

Have thought about it for many days and simply can't decide. Maybe the fish sandwich from this cafe in Vancouver.

What's your most treasured possession?

My journals. I've been journalling since I was eight. There are thirteen and two have been lost to backpack theft.

What was the last dream you had about?

So this guy wants to be a cult leader but doesn't really know how to start. He's a well beloved figure at his very strict church, so he offers parents this service that is like a summer camp for boys, but the goal is to purify their souls. Their release will be contingent on their purification, although he never intends to release them. The camp consists of about thirty men from 15 to 30 years of age. Many of them believe they deserve to be there, others see the situation more quickly and try to devise an escape. The wannabe cult leader has an assistant that leaves the camp once a week for food, but the men are supposed to start a garden and eventually cease all connection to the outside. One of them tries to ride out of the camp by laying on top of the van and is severely punished. Eventually, the mothers of these men miss their children and search all over, eventually finding the grounds. They organize a surprise church potluck to celebrate the purification of their sons, and hundreds of people show up to the camp at once to dine on casseroles and bratwursts, completely overwhelming the cult leader who has to pretend that he organized the event himself. All the prisoners go home with their mothers and everyone pretends like nothing ever happened.

What's the biggest lie on your Wikipedia page?

It says I was born in 1995/1996, which makes no sense. 1995 is the right answer.

If you could say something to your 15-year-old self, what would it be?

I try not to have regrets, but I would have to bite my tongue real hard to not warn her to stay far away from the boy I started dating when I was 15 and continued to date until I was 20.

You’re playing at End of the Road this year, our favourite festival in the UK. Which other artist playing the festival would you absolutely love to collaborate with?

Too many to name! I've already gotten to collaborate with my first choice, Julien. Yo La Tengo, Jeff Tweedy, and St. Vincent are long time favorites. Big Thief is, without a doubt in my mind, the best living band. They are friends and I'd love to collaborate, but a part of me believes I may just dilute the juice in that situation. Would also very much like to work with Haley Heynderickx, what a sweet person and wonderful singer. Ah, but there's also Japanese Breakfast, Snail Mail, Stella Donnelly, and Soccer Mommy, so... I don't know what to say.

And finally, who would you most like to apologise to and why?

Olivia, by best friend in elementary school. Television told me that entering middle school meant that I had two options: be popular or be bullied. I didn't want to be stuffed in lockers, so as a safety precaution, I vowed to do what I could to become popular. I implored her to do the same, but the urgency didn't come across to her. I left her behind in the blurry mess of adolescence and I believe it's the least compassionate I've ever been. I was only eleven, but I still think about it even if she doesn't.

End of the Road Festival runs from 30 August to 2 Septembner. Find out more at endoftheroadfestival.com.