Meet Pillow Queens – The Irish Band Talks Using Music to Explore Identity and Social Change

“Dublin’s Pillow Queens write songs that hit like an elbow to the gut, each a harder jab than the last. It’s been that way since the quartet dropped their first EP, Calm Girls in 2016. While they certainly have their raucous and rowdy moments, it’s the emotional core of the songs that leaves the most sting. Resonant and rapturous, the band finds a way to channel their thoughts on the world around them through precision indie rock songwriting that builds into swelling, cathartic choruses.

When the band played at the Kex Hostel at Iceland Airwaves, that heart at the core of their music resounded through the halls of the venue. Songs tackle religion, sexuality, and the everyday struggles of making through an anxious world. On stage, their guitars were brandished with tape spelling out the words “End DP” – a call against Ireland’s unjust Direct Provision system for refugees and asylum seekers. All of these factors coming together show a band willing to ask big questions. And listening to their 2019 EP State of the State, it’s clear they know how to do this with expert riffs and tight, unimpeachable songcraft.

After their set, we caught up with the band to learn about their origins, the Irish music scene, and how they use their music to express their identity as well as fighting for social change. Read the interview and watch the video from their performance below…”

Author: Dusty Henry

Link: https://kexp.org