Pillow Queens share their latest track and official video for “Like A Lesson”, out everywhere now. The band’s triumphant third studio album Name Your Sorrow is due out April 19 and available for pre-order now. This June, Pillow Queens will perform live across the UK and will support Snow Patrol in Limerick on July 12th ahead of their biggest show to date on July 13th at Dublin’s, Iveagh Gardens. Tickets are on sale now for all shows via pillowqueens.com/live.
Out today, the guitar-driven “Like A Lesson” explores longing for intimacy and a desire for closeness as well as the fears and insecurities that come with sharing one’s self. On the raw subject matter, the band says the track dives into, “The notion of finding safety and comfort in the presence of love of limerence is emphasized, contrasting with the paralyzing fear of making mistakes or ruining your life or someone else’s. It delves into the feeling of being a lesson for someone, a side character in someone else’s story.” Over a hooky guitar riff, the track swells until the backing instruments fade for a moment and lead vocalist, bassist and guitarist Pamela Connolly belts, “I don’t wanna ruin my life/But I wanna go home with you.” Here, the band illustrates the thin line between fear and desire, and the risk involved in vulnerability.
It slowly became a blend of each band member’s music taste and is now a favourite to play live. The band continues, “Sonically, we were influenced by a range of artists from Blur and REM to Seminsonic, New Radicals, and Squeeze. It began as a song we felt had a strong country music influence and morphed into something that referenced a wide range of our musical tastes. It’s the 90s soft rock song on the album.”
Pre-order Name Your Sorrow HERE.
Hear new single ‘Like A Lesson’ on streaming services here and watch the video below.
Live Dates:
05 June – Wardrobe, Leeds
06 June – The Fleece, Bristol
07 June – Brixton Electric, London
08 June – YES (Pink Room), Manchester
10 June – Cluny, Newcastle
11 June – Saint Luke’s, Glasgow
12 July – Thomond Park Stadium, Limerick (supporting Snow Patrol)
13 July – Iveagh Gardens, Dublin
More about Pillow Queens
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 Boland, 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 Barbra Streisand to Frank Ocean, Tool and Lana Del Rey.
Most recently, the band shared the brooding, building track ‘Gone‘, a torturous tale of exiting a collapsing relationship, led by 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 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.” Upon its release, The New York Times praised Connolly’s vocals, unbridled honesty and the track’s fuzzy guitars.
Out everywhere now, the lush, melodic ‘Like A Lesson’ bridges the gap between desire and fear. The third studio album by Pillow Queens, Name Your Sorrow, is due out April 19 and available for pre-order 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.
