Pillow Queens recently released the mother of all catchy tunes in the form of ‘Favourite’, alongside the announcement of a new EP, State of The State. Following the EP’s release (via Specialist Subject on March 16), Pillow Queens will head off on tour around their native Ireland and the UK. ‘Favourite’ has also received a re-working in an acoustic video filmed by Pillow Queens, which showcases a delicately softer arrangement that packs no less of an emotional punch.

Despite the sunny disposition of Pillow Queens’ catchy melodies and rambunctious riffs, the songs found on State of The State tend to have a darker undercurrent. Opener ‘Puppets’ is “a song about the frustration of trying to succeed in post-recession Ireland and the effect that has on mental health,” explains vocalist/guitarist/bassist Sarah Corcoran. Elsewhere on the EP, the band muse on emotional highs and lows, the inevitability of anxiety and paranoia.

Producer Peter Ashmore tapped into the wide-reaching references PQ threw at him, which included the likes of Hop Along, Yuck, Weezer, Manchester Orchestra and the Pixies, in order to attain a timeless feel befitting of the beautifully crafted songs. The artwork for the EP was brought to life by Nola Mellon and is inspired by the old Fallon’s maths times table book you used to have in primary school.

IRELAND & UK TOUR:

April 5th - Galway, Roisin Dubh

April 7th - Cork, AMP

April 9th - Bristol, Hy Brasil

April 10th - London, Sebright Arms

April 11th - Guildford, The Boileroom

April 12th - Brighton, Prince Albert

April 13th - Leeds, Chunk

April 14th - Manchester, Night & Day

April 15th - Glasgow, GLAD Cafe

April 19th - Clonakilty, Debarras

April 20th - Limerick, Dolans

April 21st - Dublin, Workmans Club

‘State of The State’ is the new EP from queer, all-girl Irish indie rock group Pillow Queens. The four tracks will be released via Bristol-based indie Specialist Subject Records on March 16. The first taster of the new collection is ‘Favourite’, a maniacal composition about self-delusion, which fizzes with intent and boasts a perfectly potent hook.

Despite the sunny disposition of Pillow Queens’ catchy melodies and rambunctious riffs, the songs found on ‘State of The State’ tend to have a darker undercurrent. Opener ‘Puppets’ is “a song about the frustration of trying to succeed in post-recession Ireland and the effect that has on mental health,” explains vocalist/guitarist/bassist Sarah Corcoran. Elsewhere on the EP, the band muse on emotional highs and lows, the inevitability of anxiety and paranoia.

‘State of The State’ is the product of Pillow Queens’ first year being a band. Their intense year of gigging, touring, and really getting to know each other’s abilities fed into this recording, in contrast to the creation of their delightful debut Calm Girls EP, which was recorded just after the band got together.

Producer Peter Ashmore tapped into the wide-reaching references PQ threw at him, which included the likes of Hop Along, Yuck, Weezer, Manchester Orchestra and The Pixies, in order to attain a timeless feel befitting of the beautifully crafted songs. Rachel Lyons (drums/vocals) observes that the EP draws “from all our teenage musical influences which have been chewed up and poured out, PQ style.” The resulting creation is something special and unmistakeably “Pillow Queens”.