"Hearts & Minds," the new single from Dublin's Pillow Queens," is a giant alt-rock anthem. This is the kind of song that borders the worlds of alt-rock and pop, but it is a little too guitar heavy to truly be pop. One of the things that helps elevate the song about the usual alt-rock anthems are the harmonies in the song. While the harmonies are beautiful and include guitars to match, there is definitely a rock edge to the song. I hate comparing any Irish band to U2, but "Hearts & Minds" remind me of U2's anthemic rock at its very best, but a little less clean cut. This is a beast of a song from a band poised to explode very soon.
Singer/guitarist Pamela Connolly says of the band's new song:
"'Hearts & Minds' is about experiencing the feeling of being a teenager again. The insecurities about body image and ability when it comes to being a musician that’s seeing themselves recorded and pictured, as well as commented on. It deals with the idea of imposter syndrome when it comes to an industry that favours the male form and the insecurity of not being able to be effortless with your movements."
You can listen to "Hearts & Minds" below. Leave the Light On is due out April 1 on Royal Mountain Records, and can be pre-ordered here. For more on Pillow Queens, check out the band's website. Upcoming tour dates are below the video.
March 9th - Kilkenny, Ireland @ Set Theatre (Sold out) March 10th - Galway, Ireland @ Roisin Dubh (Sold out) March 11th - Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory (Sold out) March 12th - Dublin, Ireland @ Button Factory (Sold out)
March 14th - SXSW March 15th - SXSW March 16th - SXSW March 17th - SXSW March 18th - SXSW March 19th - SXSW
March 23rd – Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room March 24th – Los Angeles, CA @ Moroccan Lounge March 25th – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel SF March 27th – Seattle, WA @ Clock-out Lounge March 29th – Vancouver, BC @ Wise Hall March 30th – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios April 1st – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court April 2nd – Denver, CO @ Hi-Dive April 4th – Omaha, NE @ Slowdown Jr. April 6th – Saint Paul, MN @ Turf Club April 7th – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle April 9th – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern April 11th – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd April 12th – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s April 14th – New York, NY @ The Mercury Lounge April 15th – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
May 3rd - Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club May 5th - Manchester, UK @ Gorilla May 6th - Glasgow, Scotland @ Stereo May 7th - Newcastle, UK @ Cluny May 10th - Brighton, UK @ Chalk May 11th - London, UK @ Scala May 12th - Birmingham, UK @ The Castle and Falcon May 13th - Bristol, UK @ Thekla June 12th Berlin, Germany @ Tempelhof Festival July 2nd - Gdynia, Poland @ Open’er Festival October 1st - Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar St. October 2nd - Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar St. October 7th - Limerick, Ireland @ Dolan’s October 8th - Cork, Ireland @ Cyprus Avenue October 14th - Belfast, Ireland @ The Empire October 15th - Galway, Ireland @ The Roisin Dubh October 16th - Galway, Ireland @ The Roisin Dubh October 20th - Kilkenny, Ireland @ The Set Theatre
Red On Red Records have only existed for a few months, but they've already won us over as one of those must listen labels. I can't truly compare them to early Sub Pop since they don't have an official sound, but they've been releasing consistently great music Boston area based artists.
Andrea Gillis isn't an artist I would normally find myself liking, but since she's on Red On Red Records, I felt the need to at least check it out. "Leave the Light On" is definitely poppier than the music I normally find myself into, but I'm glad I gave it a shot. Sure, it's a pop song, but it's more pop rock than a pure top 40 song. Plus, it has a retro feel that reminds me a lot of music from my youth, so it's impossible for me to resist. Fun pop rock songs dripping in 80's nostalgia are one of our weaknesses here, so "Leave the Light On" is right up our alley.
You can listen to "Leave the Light On" below. The song is available as a single via Red On Red Records, and is available on Bandcamp. For more on Andrea Gillis, check out the artist's Facebook.
