Bridgers bringing intimate art to fans

The first time most people heard singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, she was doing a highly unlikely song in a phone ad. The ad was for Apple in 2014, and the song was the Pixies’ “Gigantic” — a tune that’s generally understood to be about sex. “That was awesome to me,” she said this week. “Everybody tried to bring it up and say, ‘Look, Apple, you have no idea what this song is about.’ But believe me, they knew. They’re all cool people, and the ones I worked with were all Pixies fans. I used to play in a punk band in L.A. called Spooky Jane. Somebody knew of that band and asked us to do it off the cuff. It was all very quick and fun.” There won’t be much punk rock in store when Bridgers shares an Orpheum bill on Thursday with fellow songwriters Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker. All three specialize in lyrically intimate songs, and the three friends recently became musical collaborators as well. Before they began their tour, they met up to record an EP worth of songs under the name Boygenius. At the Orpheum, they’ll play those songs together following separate sets. “It was really easy. We all came to the table with one finished song, along with a half-song that we all finished for each other. One thing I love about Julien and Lucy is the way they use imagery. When both of them open their phones, you’ll see these random little pieces of their day that they’ve written down. You can always feel how genuine they are.” Along with the co-written tunes, they’re doing “Everything is Free,” a prophetic 2000 song by Gillian Welch. “I started playing that one with Conor Oberst when we toured together last year,” Bridgers said. “I’m obsessed with it, because the song’s about music streaming, and now it’s more relevant than ever.” Like her tour mates, Bridgers tends to be open in her songwriting. It’s no secret that her alternative hit “Motion Sickness” is about her breakup with Ryan Adams, also a former musical partner. “That’s in the past, but if you didn’t do songs about the past, you’d have nothing to play. As a songwriter, I am pretty unfiltered. I try to second-guess myself, but something always makes it through. That’s why I’m on the same page with Julien and Lucy. They’re the same way. They’ll understand where a song is coming from. When I play a heavy song for most people, they’ll usually say something like, ‘Are you OK?’ ” Though it’s possible Boygenius will make an album, Bridgers says she’s busier now with her next solo effort. “I feel like I’ve been playing with more pedals and electronics. Not that I’m about to make an EDM record, but you can learn a lot by picking up a guitar you don’t own.”

Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, at the Orpheum, Thursday. Tickets $28-$38; ticketmaster.com.