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Photo Credit:
Alexia Abarca
April 17, 2025|FEATURES

‘I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t feel good to clap back’ – Introducing Pillowprince

We live in increasingly urgent times. Times where newfound imperativeness need to be applied to applied to things once leisurely. One band who knows this all too well are Pillowprince.

Emerging from the sun-kissed and creatively fertile streets of Oakland, California, Pillowprince take the often lethargic sounds of slowcore and shoegaze and revitalise them with the free-spirited, energetic joy of queercore. An odd musical proposition, some might say. But there’s no denying the emotive and musical finesse of this band. Theirs is the sound of having one too many drinks with friends, seeking warmth in the arms of others, and smiling down the evil that wishes to end queer existence.

Formed of Olivia Lee (guitar, vocals), Sea Snyder (drums) and Liza Stegall (bass), Pillowprince is a vessel for using collective joy as an act of resistance. Their aptly dubbed queergaze is as both playful as it is sincere and serious. And moreso, there is palatable urgency to it. Pillowprince’s very existence and sound is a bucking kick back against the oppression being systematically weaponised against queer people on a global level, one that rallies both joy and the action required to fight the misery being inflected by the malicious powers that be. Showcasing this brilliantly is the band’s forthcoming EP Pretty, Baby!.

Released 25 April via Dune Altar, Pretty, Baby! takes the often po-faced and ashen stylings of shoegaze and revitalises it, animating it the with the inherent freedom and energy of queer joy and collectiveness. It’s also a record that injects a haste into a sound many perceive as stereotypically apathetic.

Across the four songs that form this record, Pillowprince emit joy in a fashion that sometimes subtle, other times overt. Whereas the sparkling, and glitter-clad snarl and joy of ‘R The Straights OK’ and the breezy yet confrontational nature of ‘Mercurial’ may remind listeners of the likes of Feeble Little Horse and Kississippi, other tracks play into the expectations of the genre. Such is the nature of ‘Care About’, a tentative yet immediately powerful track born out of grief for the victims of the tragic Club Q shooting of 2022. But such is the mercurial nature of Pretty, Baby!. It’s a wonderful record, one adorned in cracked leather and human sweat, and an EP that both resonates and encourages joy in a time where it’s needed more than ever whilst being one acutely aware of the now very real culture war being waged against queer people.

And with that in mind, we got in touch with Pillowprince to discuss the band and the new EP.

For those new to Pillowprince, how would you briefly describe the band?

‘Here’s what our friend Sophia said about us, perhaps better than we can: “wanted to share that I think your show truly resonated with me SO much… [we] just keep saying thank god we went last night that was the best thing we could have done for ourselves. the vibe was intimate, your music hit (so hard), the leather smelled good, and the queers were cute as hell. thank you for sharing your creativity and community and talent and building escapist and real worlds in fucked times”’

Musically and topically, what are your primary inspirations?

Oliva: ‘OG shoegaze bands, the dreampop greats, true indie rock, 90s alternative, queer bands, leather culture, niche playlists, our community and friends, acts of resistance,  counter culture, the highlights reel of our favourite memories, each other.’

You’re releasing your debut EP Pretty, Baby! later this month, how are you feeling about the release?

Sea: ‘The release feels timely — it’s a culmination of so much energy and support from so many people. We’re also excited to start recording again as songs keep pouring out. We’re well into writing songs for our first LP.’

Despite being a record grounded in shoegaze and slowcore, there’s a real sense of urgency to this record, something that’s not typically associated with such genres. Is that something intended, and how did you manage to achieve that with a sound that’s stereotypically perceived as quite passive?

Olivia: ‘We’re inspired by our favourite things about many genres and we take elements from them but ultimately we shape the music as we need to to serve each song. So we’re not really concerned with sticking with the integrity of specific genres, which are ever evolving. We’re just trying to make music that feels authentic to us and captures a feeling and a snapshot of who we are now – songs that we would love and listen to.’

Lead single ‘R the Straights OK’ is a fantastic and fun skewer of the queerphobia that’s rampant across the US as well as the UK right now. How did the song come about, was it cathartic to create such a track? 

Olivia: ‘It’s one of those songs that came out in one sitting, which is very rare. I guess it’s because these things have been said to us so many times, it’s like a predictable script. I tend not to say things in the moment as it’s happening, so I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t feel good to clap back.’

The celebration of queerness and the freedom it brings is an inherent aspect of your band, how do you animate this through your music and live sets? 

Sea: ‘We really try to bring our whole selves to our live shows — we bring treats and find our fellow freaks; it’s wholesome and tender and beautiful to see so many glittery hot goth queers and allies exchanging energy with us.’

Given that rampant queerphobia and general xenophobia aforementioned, how are you remaining defiant? 

Sea: Showing up and who we are and making art in a public way feels like defiance. The lyrics of our newer songs are increasingly more incendiary.

Finally, what do you want people to take away from Pretty! Baby? 

Sea: Maybe this EP can serve as a banishing spell — we’re up against a lot right now and we hope that whomever our music finds, they remember they’re not alone.’

Pretty, Baby! is released April 25th via Dune Altar. Pre-order the record here.

Pillowprince