Oakland’s queer shoegaze trio Pillowprince confront violence and loss in their emotionally charged third single “Care About,” a soul-stirring outcry of presence, empathy, and action.
Stream: “Care About” – Pillowprince
“When are you gonna care about everyone that should be here now?” Olivia Lee’s words hang in the air, aching with the intensity of lives lost, voices silenced, and histories erased. They resonate in the darkness like a flare in thick fog – piercing, urgent, impossible to ignore. Such is the power and potency of Pillowprince’s third single: Hauntingly intimate and emotionally charged, “Care About” is a dark, crushing, and cathartic plunge into the depths of collective and personal grief.
The Oakland-based shoegaze band channel sorrow, rage, and quiet defiance into a sweeping wall of sound as they drench the ears with a thick, yet fragile wall of distortion and reverb. Their music moves like a storm cloud – heavy and unrelenting – yet threaded with moments of shimmering light that suggest not all is lost.
Alright, doing alright
Alright, getting some sunshine
And finding some little thing to love
Cause everything is f*ed
All night, dancing all night
All night, laughing all night
With their painted faces shining so bright
Making some little kid feel loved
When are you gonna care about
Everyone that should be here now
How many faces and names ago
And the hate spewing through their mouths
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Care About,” the third single from Oakland, CA-based queer indie rock band Pillowprince. Since their debut this January, the trio of Olivia Lee, drummer Sea Snyder, and Liza Stegall have introduced themselves as a fresh-faced force to be reckoned with: Their first two singles “Mercurial” and “R the Straights OK” are as catchy as they are cutting, and “Care About” capturing the band at their most intense, unapologetic, and unfiltered.
All night, hearing them all night
All night, hearing them all night
So I’m finding some little thing to love
And tomorrow we will light something up
Written after the shootings at the Colorado queer bar Club Q, “Care About” is at once a swell of nightmarish rage, a statement of purpose, and a call in to empathy. It’s Pillowprince’s therapeutic reckoning and emotional response all in one, weighted by unspeakable grief and lifted by the breathtaking, soul-stirring refrain, “When are you gonna care about everyone that should be here now?” At once a mantra and a dare, Pillowprince remind us that there’s no time like the present to speak up and take action.
In a year marked by autocratic takeovers, institutional capitulation, and democratic backsliding, “Care About” stands out for its unflinching emotional clarity and unwavering call to action — a raw, reverberating outcry that mourns loss while demanding presence, empathy, and accountability.
Stream Pillowprince’s third single exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and stay tuned for more to come as the trio prepare to unveil their debut EP, pretty, baby! – set to release later this year!
When are you gonna care about
Everyone that should be here now
How many faces and names ago
And the hate spewing through their mouths
When are you gonna care about…
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:: stream/purchase Care About here ::
:: connect with Pillowprince here ::
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Stream: “Care About” – Pillowprince
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© Alexia Abarca
© Alexia Abarca:: Stream Pillowprince ::
