After nearly a year since releasing original material, Pillow Queens are back with a bang with the release of their new single ‘Kiss Kiss’. The track is the first to be released since their 2025 hit ‘Be A Big Girl’.
‘Kiss Kiss’ has been described as the intoxicating feeling of the early stages of love and lust. The guitar-drenched song nods to ’90s groups such as Blur and The Dandy Warhols, while its moody bass undertow recalls the sound of Sharon Van Etten.
Pillow Queens said of the track, “‘Kiss Kiss’ is about desire in its most volatile form: intense, physical, cyclical, where attraction and connection get knotted up with chaos. It’s a dreamlike, unstable feeling of going with it anyway, a ‘fuck it, it’ll be grand’ surrender.”
They continued, “You recognise the cost, but throw yourself into the madness of love regardless, risking it all for that euphoria, which is really what we’re all here for. Desire and love override logic.”
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‘Kiss Kiss’ sees a change in style from Pillow Queens’ usual sound and writing approach. Now a trio, the band began experimenting with drum machines and loops, allowing them to tap into different influences more in line with the track’s sound, including artists such as Moby, Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers.
“We initially found it hard to readjust, but the challenge of experimenting with new methods of songwriting was exciting,” said Sarah Corcoran (bass/vocals) of the change.
“We went in with no expectations and it just flew out of us,” Cathy McGuinness (guitar/vocals) adds.
After their three acclaimed albums In Waiting (2020), Leave the Light On (2022), and Name Your Sorrow (2024), Pillow Queens’ star has continued to rise. The release of their sophomore album earned them a nomination for Album of the Year at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize in 2022. That year also saw the band make their late-night television debut on The Late Late Show with James Corden.
They have received widespread critical acclaim from press outlets, with The Irish Times referring to them as “Astounding from every angle” and Pitchfork describing their sound as “Burnished heartland euphoria, defiant lyricism bolstered by ragged harmonies, lashings of pride, and an unabashed love of crescendos”.
The band have also opened for acts such as IDLES, Pavement and Phoebe Bridgers.
Check out ‘Kiss Kiss’ now.
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