• Watch: Pillow Queens – Hearts & Minds

    February 10, 2022 - By 

    On 1st April, Dublin quartet Pillow Queens will release Leave The Light On, the highly-anticipated, ten-track follow-up to the band’s 2020 debut LP In Waiting. Capturing what lead singer Pamela Connolly describes as “the reoccurrence of teenage insecurities occasioned by the band’s rise to prominence and the imposter syndrome she experienced as a result,” it’s another sublimely crafted effort from the indie-rock foursome. Underpinned by the subtle exploratory textures of a band in rapid evolution, across four minutes, the song soars and earworms in equal measure. “Hearts & Minds’ is about experiencing the feeling of being a teenager again,” says Connolly. “The insecurities…

  • Irish Tracks of the Week – January 21st

    January 21, 2022 - By 

    January is setting an exhilarating pace for the rest of 2022, and this week has been no different. Here’s our round-up of the best Irish music to drop in the past seven days Pillow Queens – Be By Your Side Silverbacks – Archive Material Archive Material by Silverbacks Dublin – Dublin Dublin by Dublin Inni-K – Éamonn an Chnoic Iníon by Inni-K Jonathan Deasy – Praxis Praxis by Jonathan Deasy D*mp, Curtisy – EP OF SORTS REVOLUTION ABOVE DISORDER – Scream Quietly Scream Quietly by REVOLUTION ABOVE DISORDER AIS – Freedom Junk Drawer – Tears In Costa Niall Brennan –…

  • Merchy Christmas at the Grand Social, Dublin

    December 7, 2021 - By 

    Returning for its second consecutive year, Merchy Christmas will take over Dublin’s Grand Social later this month to throw Irish artists a lifeline in the face of the huge challenges presented by COVID-19. Running from 10am-4pm on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th December, countless TTA favourites including Lankum, Myles Manley, Junior Brother, Pillow Queens, Silverbacks, Nealo and Loah will set up stall for a real-life merch market. “The Christmas merch sale last year was one of the highlights of the year for me,” said Nealo. “It was heartwarming to meet people face to face and to hang out and chat…

  • Pillow Queens Re-Release ‘Rats’, Sign to Royal Mountain

    September 16, 2021 - By 

    What a year it’s been for Pillow Queens. Six months on from signing a publishing deal with legendary Seattle label Sub Pop, the Dublin quartet have announced that they have signed to Royal Mountain Records, the Canadian indie imprint that is home to the likes of Alvvays, Mac DeMarco and others. To mark the occasion, the band have also released a re-recorded version of one of their very best tracks, ‘Rats’. Originally released back in 2016, ‘Rats’ 2.0 now features stellar visuals courtesy of Michael Maxxis. Check it out below. All the best to the band on what’s sure to be an…

  • Women’s Work 2021 Programme Launched

    May 17, 2021 - By 

    The programme for this year’s Women’s Work has been announced. The annual festival, which is run by Belfast’s Oh Yeah Music Centre, will return online across June 17-20. As with previous outings, it’s set to be another electric celebration of women in music. Among the many showcases, Q+As, panels and gigs is the launch of Dani Larkin’s long-anticipated debut album, Notes for a Maiden Warrior, Oh Yeah Getting to Know events with Larkin and Pillow Queens and NI Electronic Workshop by Hannah Peel (pictured). For full info, go to the official Women’s Work festival website. “Women’s Work is a celebration…

  • Monday Mixtape: Niall Jackson

    February 22, 2021 - By 

    London-based Dublin musician and broadcaster Niall Jackson aka Swimmers Jackson selects some of the songs featured on his excellent new radio show/podcast Pears For Lunch. I’m doing a new radio show/podcast on Islington Radio talking to Irish Musicians for an hour. A deep dive, breaking down songs, talking about influences and approach and getting some funny tour stories. The first seven have already been recorded with three episodes out so far. It’s called ‘Pears For Lunch’ and goes out on Mixcloud every Thursday on @IslingtonRadio so far here I’m delighted to give you an exclusive on songs looked at so…

  • Pillow Queens Sign to Sub Pop

    February 10, 2021 - By 

    Pillow Queens have signed a publishing deal with legendary Seattle label Sub Pop. The Dublin indie-rock quartet, who released their debut album, In Waiting, last year, announced the news via social media. “Very excited to announce that we’ve just signed a deal with Sub Pop Publishing,” they said. “We’re over the moon that our album is getting recognition we couldn’t have even dreamed of when we decided to self release during a pandemic but we’re really feeling the love.” Sub Pop initially rose to prominence in the late 1980s via acts such as Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden. Since then, the…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 100 Tracks of 2020 (#50-1)

    December 17, 2020 - By 

    Ah, 2020 eh? Unless you were living off the grid in a self-made banana bread house whilst rocking yourself gently to various iterations of ‘Happy Birthday’ as you washed your hands, then you will know that despite collectively living through the pandemic there were plenty of Irish songs to get excited about. 100 to be precise. We’ve listened to them on repeat since we couldn’t attend gigs, raves, or house parties so we’re certain we’ve selected the finest this little locked down island has to offer. It’s safe to say this year epitomised the true meaning of community in this…

  • The Thin Air’s Top 50 Irish Releases of 2020

    December 20, 2020 - By 

    In years to come, when someone asks me what The Thin Air was and represented, I’ll likely direct them to features like the one you have just opened. Much like other publications of our ilk – Nialler9, The Last Mixed Tape, Goldenplec and others – we spend 52 weeks of the year relentlessly championing what truly makes Irish music special and, very occasionally, genuinely world-beating. We all do it in different ways, and to slightly different audiences, but the impetus and desire to shine a light on what we have is one and the very same. Although they’re almost never…