Pillow Queens
OriginDublin, Ireland
GenresIndie rock
Years active2016 (2016)–present
LabelsSub Pop
Members
  • Sarah Corcoran
  • Rachel Lyons
  • Cathy McGuinness
  • Pamela Connolly
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Pillow Queens are an Irish indie rock band from Dublin, formed in 2016.[1][2] The band is composed of co-lead vocalists Sarah Corcoran and Pamela Connolly, lead guitarist Cathy McGuiness and drummer Rachel Lyons. The instrumental roles of Corcoran and Connolly switch around depending on which of them is performing lead vocals – if a song features Corcoran on lead vocals, for example, then she will play rhythm guitar and Connolly will play bass, and vice versa for Connolly's songs.

The band have been praised for their lyrical content, which often reckons with an Irish Catholic upbringing mixed with the band members themselves being openly LGBT. NME noted that the band "explore the intersection of religion and queerness",[3] while The Guardian noted that the band "acknowledges the psychological challenge of adapting to even positive social change after a lifetime conditioned in its opposite".[4]

The band released their debut album, In Waiting, in 2020. It received critical acclaim, with The Irish Times deeming it "an emotional masterpiece".[5] A second LP, Leave the Light On, was released in April 2022.

History

Pillow Queens was started by Sarah Corcoran and Pamela Connolly.[1] After leaving their previous bands, the two wanted to go further with their new band, which they decided would consist of four queer women.[6] They were then joined by Cathy McGuinness and Rachel Lyons, who they had known for years. In late 2016, the group released their first demo EP entitled Calm Girls.[2] The release of this record was followed by performances on the Irish festival circuit, including at Electric Picnic and All Together Now.[7][8] After the release of their second EP, State of the State, the group performed with the likes of Pussy Riot, Future Islands, Idles and performed in the IMRO room at Other Voices.[1]

In a mid-2019 interview with RTÉ, the band stated that they were in the studio working on their debut LP, tentatively due to be released in mid-2020.[9] On 1 November 2019, Pillow Queens released the single "Brothers",[10] and the accompanying "Brothers (Acoustic)".[11] The band played two further songs from their upcoming album, "Child of Prague" and "Liffey", on 9 November 2019, during a set in Reykjavík as part of Iceland Airwaves 2019.[12]

In 2020, their single Gay Girls featured on the soundtrack to the Amazon Original Irish film Dating Amber.[13] That year, the band also were part of "Irish Women in Harmony", an Irish collective of female singers and musicians that recorded a version of Dreams in aid of the charity SafeIreland, which deals with domestic abuse which had reportedly risen significantly during the COVID-19 lockdown.[14]

The band announced on 10 February 2021 that they had signed to the record label Sub Pop's publishing arm[15] and confirmed in August of that year they had begun recording their second LP.[16][17] The following month, the band released a new single, a re-recorded version of the song "Rats" from their Calm Girls EP. The band also simultaneously signed to Royal Mountain Records.[18]

In January 2022, the band announced their second studio album Leave the Light On. Its lead single, "Be By Your Side", was released the same day.[19] A second single, "Hearts & Minds", followed in February.[20] The album was released on April 1, 2022.[21]

Style

The band has both pop and punk influences; however, they have been hesitant to define their work as either, in order to avoid being labeled.[22]

Pillow Queens have been described by Paste magazine as having a "sonic palette" crossed with "ragged-edged" guitars, combined with "smooth harmonies".[22]

Members

  • Sarah Corcoran – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, bass
  • Rachel Lyons − drums, backing vocals
  • Cathy McGuinness − lead guitar, backing vocals
  • Pamela Connolly – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar, bass

Discography

Studio albums

Title Year Album details
In Waiting[23] 2020
Leave the Light On[24] 2022
  • Released: 1 April 2022
  • Label: Royal Mountain Records
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl, streaming

Extended plays

Title Year EP details
Calm Girls[25] 2016
State of the State[26] 2018

Singles

Title Year Album
"Favourite"[27] 2018State of the State
"Gay Girls"[28] In Waiting
"HowDoILook"[29] 2019
"Brothers"[10]
"Brothers (Acoustic)"[11] Non-album single
"Handsome Wife"[30] 2020 In Waiting
"Holy Show"[31]
"Rats" 2021Non-album single
"Be By Your Side" 2022 Leave a Light On
"Hearts & Minds"

References

  1. 1 2 3 Una Mullally (18 July 2018). "Pillow Queens: 'If I saw a band like us onstage, I'd be obsessed'". The Irish Times.
  2. 1 2 Danny Carroll (23 August 2019). "Pillow Queens Q&A". Other Voices.
  3. ↑ Daly, Rhian (25 September 2020). "Pillow Queens – 'In Waiting' review: debut that takes you right to the heart of modern Ireland". NME. BandLab Technologies. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  4. ↑ McEvoy, Tara (5 October 2020). "Pillow Queens: 2020's most exciting indie-rockers on Catholicism, coming out and community". The Guardian. Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  5. ↑ Bruton, Louise. "Pillow Queens: In Waiting review – An emotional masterpiece". The Irish Times. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  6. ↑ Mia Hughes (20 September 2020). "Queerness is in Pillow Queens' DNA". The Line Of Best Fit.
  7. ↑ "10 Irish acts to see at this year's All Together Now". Nialler9. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "Pillow Queens | Electric Picnic". Electricpicnic.ie. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  9. ↑ Michael Donovan (19 June 2019). "Interview: Pillow Queens dream a little dream". RTÉ.
  10. 1 2 Apple Music (1 November 2019). "Brothers". iTunes.
  11. 1 2 Apple Music (1 November 2019). "Brothers (Acoustic)". iTunes.
  12. ↑ "Pillow Queens - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)". YouTube. 11 February 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  13. ↑ Clayton-Lea, Sarah. "'Gay Girls' Features on Soundtrack of Irish Film, Dating Amber – Pillow Queens". Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  14. ↑ Bol, Rosita. "Irish Women in Harmony record Cranberries song in aid of Safe Ireland". The Irish Times. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "Pillow Queens sign deal with Seattle label Sub Pop". RTÉ. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  16. ↑ @PillowQueens (4 August 2021). "Album 2 is it? Gwan so" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ @PillowQueens (6 August 2021). "it's Bandcamp Friday! Order some of our fine goods modelled here by our shy model Rachel. We're recording album 2 so there'll be some delivery delays but we're good for it I swear" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Farrell, Margaret. "Pillow Queens Point Out We're All "Rats" in This Humdrum Life". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  19. ↑ Powell, Cluny (21 January 2022). ""WE LAUGH ABOUT THE UPS AND DOWNS LIKE THEY DON'T HURT": PILLOW QUEENS RELEASES EMOTIVE NEWEST SINGLE". Clunk Mag. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  20. ↑ Deville, Chris (10 February 2022). "Pillow Queens – "Hearts & Minds"". Stereogum. Stereogum Media. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  21. ↑ Murray, Robin (19 January 2022). "Pillow Queens Announce New Album 'Leave The Light On'". Clash Music. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  22. 1 2 Clare Martin (25 January 2019). "Meet Pillow Queens, the Irish Band Making "Puppy Pop"". Paste.
  23. ↑ "In Waiting | Pillow Queens". Pillowqueens.bandcamp.com. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  24. ↑ "Pillow Queens - Leave the Light On". Royal Mountain Records. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
  25. ↑ "Calm Girls EP | Pillow Queens". Pillowqueens.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  26. ↑ Danny Kilmartin (15 March 2018). "Pillow Queens - State of the State". Goldenplec.
  27. ↑ "Favourite | Pillow Queens". Pillowqueens.bandcamp.com. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  28. ↑ Apple Music (26 October 2018). "Gay Girls". iTunes.
  29. ↑ Apple Music (17 May 2019). "HowDoILook". iTunes.
  30. ↑ Apple Music (12 June 2020). "Handsome Wife". iTunes.
  31. ↑ Apple Music (14 August 2020). "Holy Show". iTunes.
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