Band Of The Week #267 - Pillow Queens
This week’s Artist of the Week is Irish indie rock band - Pillow Queens, who have just released their third studio album ‘Name Your Sorrow’.
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) 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.
They took a moment to talk to us about how their album came together.
Hey there Pillow Queens - how are you? So your album is out now - how does it feel to have it out there in the world?
Pamela: Kind of relieving? We’ve been sitting on these songs for a while and over the past few months we’ve been so excited to give people early listens. This album is one I just really wanted to be heard.
Cathy: Excited! I hope those who listen to it make it theirs and get something from it like I think we all did.
Sarah: We’re three albums deep now so you think we’d have gotten used to this feeling of anticipation, though I don’t think it makes it any easier. It’s a tough thing to release a body of work into the world because it’s no longer just ours, it’s anybody’s now. I’m mostly excited though, I think this album will really connect with people.
It is called ‘Name Your Sorrow’ - what is the meaning behind that?
Cathy: The source of inspiration for this title is from a beautiful poem ‘Atlantis’ - by Eavan Boland. This title came after we recorded the album. Once we all read this poem, we all were like “this encompasses the album so perfectly!”.
Where was it recorded? Any behind the scenes stories from the creative process you are happy to share with us?
Cathy: We recorded it in Analgoue Catalogue, a beautiful studio in Newry, Co. Down, Ireland. Our friend and producer Collin Pastore came from Nashville to record it. It was a very easy creative experience. Our songs were pretty tight so not a huge amount of rewriting had to be done so most of the time we just got to experiment with ideas and sounds. A lot of equipment that once belonged to New Order lives in that studio so you can imagine how fun that was. It was a wholesome time, we all got on so well we spent pretty much every waking hour together. We had camp fires and bbqs and played board games. Oh! One morning we were woken by what must have been 70 cows ‘mooing’ at our window. They had gotten lost on the way to milking and ended up in the studio grounds. I just recalled that now, bizarre!
Pamela: The first thing that came to mind for me was the onslaught of cows so we can see where my priorities are. But yeah it was such a wonderful place to hunker down in and build this record together without any outside distractions
What are the key themes and influences on the album?
Cathy : For me this is an album of stages of grief, as well as love. One particular source of inspiration for me sonically was the story of the loneliest Whale, Blue 52.9
Pamela: I find it hard to list adjectives when it comes to this album because for me it feels constantly moving through the motions. Like what Cathy said, it's like stages. It feels like trying and failing to find your feet in a world you’re not quite used to yet
If the album could be the soundtrack to any film - which one would it be and why?
Cathy: Barbie
Pamela: Maybe like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Sarah: I think it could work well soundtracking Grease. So Kind in place of Summer Nights, The Bar’s Closed instead of Beauty School Dropout and One Night instead of Stranded at the Drive In. Sandy would do a great rendition of I don’t wanna ruin my life but I wanna go home with you…
Do you have a favorite lyric on the album - if so, which one and why?
Cathy: “Stand for the encore of Sisyphus’ sigh”. I think it's a really beautiful and sad image. The repeated effort despite the hardship. Ouch.
Pamela: I like to change it up everytime we get asked this so today it’s “give up the ghost once more. Throw in your dirt”. Which tries to convey a reluctant acceptance
Sarah: ‘I can’t call my Mam at all, I told her there’s nothing wrong, I just need to fall asleep’ absolutely destroys me every time.
Now the album is out there - what next?
Cathy: I'm going to try and be more mindful on this record and enjoy the release and take new opportunities as they come. I'll leave the planning to Suzanne and Sibyl, our very very fantastic managers.
Pamela: yeah I think I’d like to really sit and listen to people’s thoughts and interpretations of the record. And I guess find the joy in performing it a lot live
