Dublin’s Pillow Queens had been quietly building momentum on their side of the Atlantic since the release of their 2016 debut EP Calm Girls. Selling out shows in Ireland, supporting artists like IDLES, Pussy Riot and Future Islands, and earning enthusiastic support in the UK before they independently released their 2020 LP In Waiting. The album was a major breakthrough for the band, scoring praise across US, UK and Irish media – notably from the Guardian and the Irish Times, along with multiple A-list spots on the BBC 6 Music playlist – a RTÉ Choice Music Prize nomination for Irish Album Of The Year, and perhaps most remarkably of all a US national television appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
Today the band are returning to announce their signing to Royal Mountain Records, and to mark the occasion are sharing the rambunctious “Rats,” alongside a video directed by Michael Maxxis (Orville Peck, City and Colour). The announcement arrives ahead of the band’s upcoming dates in Ireland, the UK and Europe which begin in Berlin on September 18th.
Long a staple of their live sets, the track was recorded with Tommy Mclaughlin (SOAK), who produced In Waiting, and features a sample of a crowd sing-along from one of the band’s sold-out shows in Dublin prior to the pandemic. According to guitarist Pamela Connolly, shooting the video for the track was a cathartic moment for the band; “Filming the video for ‘Rats’ was catharsis at its best,” explains guitarist Pamela Connolly. “After 18 months of no gigs and being inside, we finally got a chance to gather in a venue and simulate a real life gig with some of our closest friends. The chant section towards the end of the song is usually a highlight of our live set and we had really missed that energy so having a chance to recreate that was really special”.
‘Rats’ is out now on Royal Mountain Records. You can listen to it here.
Tour Dates
Sept 18th – Berlin, Pure & Crafted Festival
Sept 24th – Hamburg, Reeperbahn Festival
Sept 28th – Majorca, Sons de Nit Festival
Nov 2nd – Birmingham, Sunflower Lounge (SOLD OUT)
Nov 3rd – Bristol, Rough Trade (SOLD OUT)
Nov 4th – London, The Dome (SOLD OUT)
Nov 6th – Brighton, Mutations Festival
Nov 8th – Leeds, Hyde Park Book Club
Nov 9th – Manchester, YES
Nov 10th – Liverpool, Arts Club Loft
Nov 12th – Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms
Nov 13th – Glasgow, Great Western Festival
Nov 14th – Nottingham, Bodega
Dec 2nd – Belfast, Ulster Sports Club (SOLD OUT)
Dec 4th – Dundalk, Spirit Store (SOLD OUT)
Dec 5th – Derry, Sandinos (SOLD OUT)
Dec 8th – Cork, Cyprus Avenue (SOLD OUT)
Dec 9th – Listowel, Mike the Pies (SOLD OUT)
Dec 10th – Kilkenny, Set Theatre (SOLD OUT)
Dec 11th – Limerick, Dolans (SOLD OUT)
Dec 16th – Galway, Roisin Dubh (SOLD OUT)
Dec 17th – Dublin, The Button Factory (SOLD OUT)
Dec 18th – Dublin, The Button Factory (SOLD OUT)
Pillow Queens are: Pamela Connolly – Vocals, guitar, bass | Sarah Corcoran – Vocals, guitar, bass | Rachel Lyons – Drums, vocals |Cathy McGuinness – Lead guitar, vocals
Photo by Rich Gilligan
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Royal Mountain Records
