Pillow Queens – Name Your Sorrow
Today, acclaimed Irish indie rock band Pillow Queens share their triumphant third studio album Name Your Sorrow.
At their most exposed yet, the group dives headfirst into a raw, open landscape of feeling highs and lows, resulting in a cathartic, brave, explorative body of work that stays long after the album ends. This June, Pillow Queens will perform live across the UK and will support Snow Patrol in Limerick, IE on July 12 ahead of their biggest show to date on July 13 at Dublin, Ireland’s Iveagh Gardens.
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, Illuminati Hotties) 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.
Earlier this week, the band shared the honest, searing “Heavy Pour,” a track that lays the foundation for a story of unshakable conviction in the face of doubt and feeling inadequate.
Sonically, lead guitarist and vocalist Cathy McGuinness shares, “It feels like a bit of a bizarre journey or a fever dream.” Opening with a 90s grunge vibe, twangy distorted guitars and open strings, it gets progressively heavier before a cathartic release. McGuinness says, “The guitar becomes more palatable in the middle eight, totally contradicting the previous section of discordant chaos. It then falls into a glorious half time with ‘oohs’ to support the instruments, giving a feeling of clarity and resolve before snapping back to the chorus.” Lyrically, lead vocalist, guitarist and bassist Pamela Connelly adds, “A lot of the lines in this song could convey the typical sweetness of a love song, but it has brief moments of outside perspectives that cast doubt over the conviction represented. The song tries to show the “heavy pour” as a compulsion that while having moments of joy, ultimately heightens personal insecurities.”
The band also touches on gender and common misconceptions with the line, “I want more, but I’m not man enough.” Vocalist, guitarist and bassist Sarah Corcoran says talk regarding that line has sparked conversations about gender, particularly the tendency to equate masculinity with bravery. “Intrigued by this dynamic, we wanted to delve into and dissect the idea that one’s gender expression is impacted by their perceived level of courage. Spoiler: it’s not. All genders can be courageous and/or scared.”
The track’s accompanying video, directed by Kate Dolan, is inspired by old silent films like The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, Faust and Nosferatu. The idea for the video came immediately to Dolan upon hearing the track. Dolan says, “The song felt like a haunting and I felt the video needed to be something quite stylistic. I came up with the idea of the music video being a long lost silent film that has never been seen, a haunted piece of art buried in an attic somewhere. Then, as the band performs the cursed film is purged, burning up. The band are always up for having some fun so the shoot was a lot of fun and we played a lot on set.”
Pillow Queens Live
UK & Ireland
Jun. 5 – Leeds, UK – Wardrobe
Jun. 6 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
Jun. 7 – London, UK – Brixton Electric
Jun. 8 – Manchester, UK – YES Pink Room
Jun. 10 – Newcastle, UK – Cluny
Jun. 11 – Glasgow, UK – Saint Lukes
Jul. 12 – Limerick, IE – Thomond Park Stadium (supporting Snow Patrol)
Jul. 13 – Dublin, IE – Iveagh Gardens
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