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Firebrand Swedish rockers BLUES PILLS return with a long-awaited kick-ass new album ‘BIRTHDAY’ to be released August 2nd, 2024, on Throwdown Entertainment/ BMG.
The title track ‘BIRTHDAY’ will be released as a single on streaming platforms this Friday 8th March. The single will also be released as a limited edition 12″ vinyl for Record Store Day this 20th April 2024.
Pre-order the album here: https://bluespills.lnk.to/BirthdayAlbum
Sometimes Brody Dalle other times more Janis Joplin, Elin Larsson delivers raw, effortless charisma with stellar rich vocals throughout the new record. Accompanied by Zack Anderson on guitar, André Kvarnström on drums and Kristoffer Schander on bass supplying infectious grooves that just won’t quit. The band let the melody and Elin’s vocals shine, while encouraging the jumbo-sized hooks to thread through the eleven tracks, mainly produced by Grammy-nominated Freddy Alexander, creating a career defining record full of beauty, fire and swagger.
Blues Pills: “With this album we truly let ourselves be free, leaving all the boundaries and expectations behind to write music we love. We wanted to capture the raw and authentic feeling from when we play live on an album yet pushing ourselves to create and write the best work we’ve ever done. Elin was pregnant during the recordings, and what isn’t more rock’n’roll than that? To create human life and music.”
Majestically featuring her pregnant body front and centre in the photoshoot for BIRTHDAY, Elin has naturally and unashamedly stepped into her power. Knee high arse-kicking boots at the ready, power stances levelled up, Elin is ready to hit the big time with her incredible voice and tight-knit band Blues Pills, baby cradled in one hand, mic in the other. Don’t you love it?
The unassuming Swedes may seem softly spoken, laid back even nerdy at home, curating their vinyl collection or walking in rural Sweden’s snowy landscapes with their dogs. But on stage the band erupt into modern rock magma. Increasingly known for the strength of their powerful live show guitarist Zack Anderson notes: “There’s been a natural progression with us levelling up our stage presence, Elin is fearless now, jumping around, powerstances, crowdsurfing, full of fire.”
The band’s feminist stance has also been a natural progression, drawing on the lived experience of the band online and while touring with a frontwoman.
Elin: “A lot of the years I’ve been taking shit for being a woman in rock n roll, Zack sees it all first hand and it gives a new perspective. For everyone in the band it’s a constant driver.”
Zack: “We support each other. It’s always been, since the beginning 12 years ago Zack & Elin. We’ve seen it all. The band and I are happy to stand behind Elin and call ourselves feminists too, this doesn’t seem controversial to us. It’s not a radical thought or a major statement. It’s just the right thing.”
This stance has only been reinforced by Elin’s new role as a mother. Elin found out she was pregnant while writing this album, recording the songs often feeling like she was gifted more energy and a new sense of freedom by her growing son inside her, as she laid the vocal tracks down.
The title track BIRTHDAY tells the tale of an incident that took place on tour in Mexico on Elin’s birthday. She invited the whole band and crew out to celebrate her birthday and things turned sour when a waiter decided to ruin her birthday.
Elin: “I don’t know what the f**k this guy was thinking or doing, but he took liberties and crossed personal boundaries acting in a very disrespectful way.”
When the band got home, they wrote the new single ‘BIRTHDAY’. “It has some humour to it” states Elin “The first verse of the song is written from the perspective of the aggressor, but this is not a song to feel like a victim to, this is a shit-kicker of a tune with a f**k you attitude to get wild to.”
Blues Pills have always been ahead of the curve with their outspoken attitude. From before the #MeToo movement over the past 12 years Blues Pills have been at the bleeding edge, dealing with life as a modern rock band with a female singer.
Now Elin’s new role as a mother has, if anything made their conviction to continue their music, and in their collective feminism, grounded in mutual respect and standing up for themselves and each other, even stronger.
Elin: “I need to do this for myself and for other mothers, so they don’t abandon their own passions after becoming mums. It’s going to take time to combine the two worlds I love, but I can only think it will do my son Loui good to experience other cultures, countries and music. I really think it’s important that I can do this. To empower other women, and to meet this new state proudly and enjoy”.
Modern motherhood and modern rock. Timely and resplendent.
BIRTHDAY track listing:
Birthday
Don’t You Love it
Bad Choices
Top Of The Sky
Like A Drug
Piggyback Ride
Holding Me Back
Somebody Better
Shadows
I Don’t Wanna Get Back On That Horse Again
What Has This Life Done To You
BLUES PILLS is:
Elin Larsson – vocals
Zack Anderson – Guitar
André Kvarnström – Bass
Kristoffer Schander – Drums
Pre-order BLUES PILLS album BIRTHDAY here: https://bluespills.lnk.to/BirthdayAlbum
Pre-order / Pre-save single here: https://bluespills.lnk.to/BP_Birthday
PHOTOS by Dana Trippe
