Sweden’s Blues Pills will start the album cycle for their new record, Holy Moly!, well in advance of the actual June 19 release date. Nuclear Blast is behind the offering as they have been since they picked up their self-titled debut (review here), and the band begin playing shows this week in Uppsala. Sure, they took some time to record, but there’s a certain point at which the notion of a “cycle” becomes kind of irrelevant, i.e., a band just tours. Blues Pills have not been shy about hitting the road, I guess is what I’m saying.

“Proud Woman” is the first single from Holy Moly!, and though it’s tempting, I’m not going to sit here and mansplain to you how the idea of vocalist Elin Larsson feeling compelled to make such a declaration should be considered a quaint example of the band’s retro foundations rather than an urgent and relevant statement regarding current issues, but there you have it anyway. I’m also not going to sit here and mansplain how I just mansplained the thing I said I wasn’t going to mansplain. That’s what it’s like to be a dude. For what it’s worth, I’m not particularly proud. Ain’t like I earned any of this cultural privilege.

The PR wire has more interesting things to say:

BLUES PILLS Announce New Album Holy Moly! + Release First Single “Proud Woman”

Often compared to a jam session between Aretha Franklin and LED ZEPPELIN, BLUES PILLS’ career took them from an American garage to international glory within a few years. Their self-titled debut album (2014) entered the German album charts at #4 and two years later they went straight to #1 with the successor Lady in Gold. Starting in the smallest clubs the band suddenly found themselves playing on some of the world’s biggest stages from Rock Am Ring, Download, Sweden Rock and even the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival where DEEP PURPLE famously saw smoke on the water during Frank Zappa’s performance.

With the band’s 3rd album, Holy Moly!, to be released on June 19th, 2020 via Nuclear Blast, BLUES PILLS plan their return to a number of major festival stages, playing Download, Hurricane and Southside among many others throughout the summer.

But fans need not wait until summer for their first taste of the action. To support International Women’s Day on March 8th BLUES PILLS have released their first single “Proud Woman”. The band describe their intentions with the song:
“With ‘Proud Woman’ we wanna give the fierce women and grrrls of the world a power anthem to turn on whenever they wanna feel empowered. Or just have fun. A song to everyone who stands behind the most obvious things of all. Equality and unity. Whoever you are, wherever you come from. Women will always be a driving force of change. And a change is gonna come.”

Get the single digitally here: https://nblast.de/BP-ProudWoman

In regards to the lyrics of “Proud Woman” vocalist, Elin Larsson, says: “I’m a proud woman came out from my inner self and the first thing I thought was: someone must have written this before. And if not, why? Hey! It’s about damn time then!

To be a woman or non-binary in the music industry seems to be more about the gender then the music sometimes. As a woman you’re being belittled, threatened, scrutinized, made fun of, targeted and harassed in a way that the men in the industry aren’t. And even so, there are so many women in the industry who made and are making their mark just as mighty as the men, and they do that despite all of the hardships they get for simply being a woman and that makes their triumphs even greater.”

“I’m a proud woman. And I’m not the only one!”

BLUES PILLS live:

13.03. S Uppsala – Katalin (w/ BROR GUNNAR JANSSON)
14.03. S Norrköping – Arbis Bar & Salonger (w/ BROR GUNNAR JANSSON)
19.03. PL Warsaw – Antyradio Award Party @ Stodola
27.03. RUS Moscow – Pravda Club
28.03. RUS St. Petersburg – Club Zal
03.04. GR Thessaloniki – Fix Factory of Sound
04.04. GR Athens – Fuzz Club

02.05. UK London – Desertfest

12.06. UK Donington – Download Festival
13.06. F Tourcoing – Le Grand Mix
15.06. LUX Esch-sur-Alzette – Kulturfabrik
16.06. F Strasbourg – La Laiterie
18./20.06. B Dessel – Graspop Metal Meeting
19.06. D Neuhausen ob Eck – Southside Festival
21.06. D Scheeßel – Hurricane Festival
27.06. N Ekeberg – Tons of Rock
28.06. I Verona – Rock The Castle
09. – 12.07. CZ Vizovice – Masters of Rock
11.07. N Kvinesdal – Norway Rock Festival
23. – 26.07. RO Brezoi – Open Air Blues Festival
14.08. E Barcelona – Keeping The Blues Alive

BLUES PILLS are:
Elin Larsson | Vocals
Zack Anderson | Guitar
André Kvarnström | Drums
Kristoffer Schander | Bass

www.BLUESPILLS.com
www.facebook.com/BLUESPILLS
https://www.instagram.com/bluespills/
http://www.facebook.com/nuclearblastusa
http://instagram.com/nuclearblastusa
https://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/shop/index.html

Blues Pills, “Proud Woman” official video