Pillow Queens Announce New Album ‘Name Your Sorrow’ and Share New Single 'Gone'
Pillow Queens | Photo credit: Martyna Bannister
Today, acclaimed Irish indie rock band Pillow Queens announce their third studio album Name Your Sorrow, due out April 19 and available for pre-order now. Alongside the big news, the band share the honest, roaring lead single 'Gone' out everywhere now. Plus, Pillow Queens announce a fresh string of live dates throughout the UK this June with pre-sale beginning January 25 and the general on-sale beginning Friday, January 26. The band's biggest show to date is set for July 13 at Ireland's Iveagh Gardens in Dublin, with tickets on sale now via pillowqueens.com/live.
The band's triumphant third full-length album Name Your Sorrow finds the group at their most vulnerable and self-assured as they explore themes of queerness, insecurity, desire and heartbreak as well as the positivity and strength that can grow from pain. Produced by Collin Pastore (Lucy Dacus, boygenius) at Analogue Catalogue in Northern Ireland, the collection sees the group chart new territory as they give fans an all new, uninhibited look at both their artistry and humanity. With masterful instrumentation and raw lyricism, the quartet immerse listeners in a robust, emotionally-charged sonic world like never before.
Each of the twelve tracks peel back an additional layer of the human condition, from grief to joy and everything in between, culminating in a collective catharsis–a newfound sense of strength and hope in a greater sense of self. With moments of harmony and contradiction, lead guitarist and vocalist Cathy McGuinness calls the album one of intensity, loneliness and love. "It is about stages of love, loss and grief and how they can all exist alongside one another–intertwined, messy, beautiful–how both love and loss can coexist." Tucked away in the quiet Irish countryside, the group bonded deeply, laughing, cooking for each other and playing games which resulted in a safe, supportive environment that allowed each musician to experiment, mess up, and try again. Pillow Queens credit Irish poet Eavan Bolan, English poet John Keats, and British writer C.S. Lewis among their literary inspirations during the writing process, and musically, influences range from Vampire Weekend to Barbara Streisand to Frank Ocean, Tool and Lana Del Rey.
The latest taste of the forthcoming project – the brooding, building 'Gone' – tells a torturous tale of exiting a collapsing relationship, with a pulsing beat that feeds a sense of uneasiness. The band says,”'Gone’ is a song that looks into the vapid nature of brief romantic encounters and the hyperbole that can become so monotonous, it makes you jaded." The track came about at the end of a jam session during a songwriting retreat in The Burren on the West Coast of Ireland. Lead vocalist, guitarist and bassist Pamela Connolly adds, "Lines like, 'I was in your top five things to do' convey a lack of self-worth that’s tackled throughout the album. It’s a song that showcases a vulnerability that allows for no silver linings–it's the reality of how someone is feeling in the moment."
Pre-order Name Your Sorrow here
Hear new single 'Gone' on streaming services here and watch the visualiser here
See Pillow Queens live on the following 2024 dates
05 June - Wardrobe, Leeds, UK
06 June - The Fleece, Bristol, UK
07 June - Brixton Electric, London, UK
08 June - YES (Pink Room), Manchester, UK
10 June - Cluny, Newcastle, UK
11 June - Saint Luke's, Glasgow, UK
13 July - Iveagh Gardens, Dublin, IR
More about Pillow Queens - Download the latest full biography here
In November 2023, the band shared the first taste of the project with 'Suffer,' filled with soul-stirring lyrics and a melancholic melody that captures the ache of heartbreak and the struggle to let go. It premiered on Huw Stephens show on BBC 6 Music and garnered support from Crack, DIY, Dork, Hot Press, The Independent, The Line of Best Fit, NME, Stereogum and more. To coincide with the release, the group played a string of dates around EU and UK throughout the month including a sold out London show and an appearance at Germany's Rolling Stone Beach. This summer, Pillow Queens are set to perform throughout the UK including their biggest show yet in Dublin on July 13. See a full list of dates below with tickets on sale now here.
Formed in 2016, Pillow Queens–made up of Pamela Connolly (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Sarah Corcoran (vocals, guitar, bass), Cathy McGuinness (vocals, lead guitar) and Rachel Lyons (vocals, drums)–burst onto the scene with their debut demo EP Calm Girls, leading to a string of UK and Irish dates and festival appearances. The release of their follow up EP State of the State prompted Hot Press to write the band is, "currently lauded by any critic worth their salt." Their debut album In Waiting arrived in 2020 and received praise from The Guardian, who called them “2020’s most exciting indie rockers,” they were named a Band To Watch by Stereogum, received an Irish Album of The Year nomination and made their first U.S. national television appearance remotely on the Late Late Show with James Corden.
Taking the world by storm, the band went on to tour North America, UK and Europe, play at SXSW and open for IDLES, Pavement, and later, Phoebe Bridgers in Glasgow. Upon the 2022 release of their sophomore album Leave The Light On, Pitchfork wrote, "Pillow Queens make the kind of noise that tends to flourish live, roared back by the faithful: burnished heartland euphoria, defiant lyricism bolstered by ragged harmonies, lashings of pride, and an unabashed love of crescendos." The Guardian added, "Sonically, the album evokes the work of Americana-influenced alt-rock musicians such as Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten and even the Killers – a sound that is both epically transcendent and comfortingly gritty." The band once again received an Irish Album Of The Year nomination, as well as made their debut in-person late night TV show appearance, once again on the Late Late Show with James Corden. Now, in 2024, with fueled by an elevated sound and unflinching honesty, Pillow Queens are prepared to ascend to new heights.
The highly anticipated third studio album by Pillow Queens, Name Your Sorrow, is due out April 19 and available for pre-order now. The fiery new offering from the forthcoming project, 'Gone,' is out everywhere now. Experience Pillow Queens live across the UK this June and later, at their biggest show to date at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin on July 13 with tickets on sale now here.
