“IF I could rewind 10 years, and if I saw a band like us on stage, I would be obsessed." So says Pillow Queens' drummer Rachel Lyons, and while modesty may not rest easy on this band's shoulders, they have every reason to walk tall right now.
Pillow Queens - Lyons, Cathy McGuinness (guitar/vocals ), Pamela Connolly (bass/lead vocals ), and Sarah Corcoran (guitar/lead vocals ) - are one of the most exciting indie-rock guitar bands at work right now.
BBC Radio 6's Steve Lamacq called them “deceptively infectious, with sharp hooks and sharp nails”. Their 2016 EP, Calm Girls, was called "bloody brilliant...will capture your heart," by Upset magazine. Follow-up, The State Of The State EP, was released last year, and its single, 'Favourite' enjoyed airplay on BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, RADIO X, and Amazing Radio.
'I quit my job a year and a half ago to start a band...I pushed it away to make music. That has benefited me greatly'
The 'Gay Girls' single was issued last October and was nominated for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize song of the year award, and was played on NPR’s World Cafe and on KEXP. The band have played Body & Soul and Eurosonic; supported Pussy Riot, Soak, Idles, and Future Islands. They are working on their debut album, due for release in 2020.
What is more, the band mean every word they say, and in what they stand for. As Pamela Connolly told The Irish Times: “I quit my job a year and a half ago to start a band...I had a nine-to-five but I couldn’t afford to pay rent, I wasn’t doing what I wanted, I was literally just working to get money. I pushed it away to make music. That has benefited me greatly...I think a lot of other people are like that. They’re making music out of their emotions towards their situations."
Pillow Queens play the Róisín Dubh on Friday July 19 at 8pm, as part of the Galway International Arts Festival. Support is from The Claque. Tickets are available via www.giaf.ie See also www.pillowqueens.com
