Pillow Queens are a 4-piece indie rock band based in Dublin comprising Pamela Connolly, Sarah Corcoran, Cathy McGuinness, and Rachel Lyons. The band have recently just played two sold out Vicar Street shows off the back of a successful campaign for their sophomore album ‘Leave the Light On’ and have played to crowds across North America and Europe over what has been a busy yet fruitful 2022.
“Deceptively infectious, with sharp hooks and sharp nails.” Steve Lamacq, BBC 6music
Pillow Queens formed in Winter 2016 with the immediate release of their demo EP Calm Girls, which sparked a successful string of UK & Irish dates & festival appearances.
Their second EP State of the State made its way onto BBC 6 Music’s playlists, with Steve Lamacq calling them “deceptively infectious, with sharp hooks and sharp nails”. The lead single Favourite picked up lots of great support on the UK’s national airwaves, including plays on BBC RADIO 1, BBC Introducing, RADIO X & Amazing Radio. After two more UK tours, and two sellout hometown gigs, the band soon found themselves more and more comfortable on bigger stages, opening for the likes of American Football and Pussy Riot, capping off Summer 2018 with a stadium performance opening for Idles & Future Islands.
This quick momentum led to the band working with Mercury Prize nominated producer Tommy McLaughlin for their next single Gay Girls – which received a nomination for the RTE Choice Music Prize song of the year, as well as International airplay on NPR’s World Cafe & KEXP.
2019 saw Pillow Queens venture into mainland Europe, with an appearance at this year’s Eurosonic Festival, followed by an impressive string of European tour dates supporting Soak.
The band announced on 10 February 2021 that they had signed to the record label Sub Pop’s publishing arm and confirmed in August of that year they had begun recording their second LP. The following month, the band released a new single, a re-recorded version of the song “Rats” from their Calm Girls EP. The band also simultaneously signed to Royal Mountain Records.
In January 2022, the band announced their second studio album Leave the Light On. Its lead single, “Be By Your Side”, was released the same day. A second single, “Hearts & Minds”, followed in February.The album was released on April 1, 2022