Their first gig was to raise money for a dog shelter, and the
Dublin quartet continue to champion social change – from body positivity to equal rights for
Women – with euphoric songs
When I meet Dublin band Pillow Queens in a pub and pizza place in the city in August, the conversation ranges from the city’s housing crisis to the campaign to end direct provision, Ireland’s widely criticised system for housing asylum seekers. It takes a while for the reason for our meeting – the release of their exceptional debut album In Waiting – to get a look in. Proudly queer and passionate about social justice, the quartet come from a generation of artists who are equally concerned with creating great work and social change.
Their purpose has evolved since they staged their first-ever gig, a benefit, in 2016. “We wanted an excuse to raise money for this dog rescue,” says guitarist and
Singer Sarah Corcoran. Since then, she and Pamela Connolly, Rachel Lyons, and Cathy McGuinness have made their name as one of Ireland’s best new bands in a country (let alone a city) not short on them. They fuse a punk sensibility with poppy hooks on songs such as Holy Show; HowDoILook is a joyful ode to body positivity. In person, the four-piece echo the energy of their spirited and euphoric indie rock, and not having seen much of each other during lockdown, they’re upbeat, frank and irreverent – excited to be back in each other’s company.