Nottingham heatseekers Divorce are releasing their debut album Drive To Goldenhammer in less than two months – on March 7, to be precise. Following early singles “Antarctica” and “All My Freaks”, they’ve shared the mini-epic “Pill”. Introducing the song, co-vocalist Tiger Cohen-Towell says:
“‘Pill’ was written on not my piano at not my flat in not my city; Glasgow to be specific. It’s about sexual awakenings and the absolute thrill of feeling seen properly. It’s also about a long-term long-distance relationship that turned my life upside down (and continues to), and my relationship with a new place alongside that. It’s one of the queerest songs on the record, all three sections highlight a different realm of my queer experience.
“It’s also potentially the most unconventionally arranged song on the record and making it was a very playful and light-hearted process. From the get-go I wanted it to have three very different sections in this song, the rest of the band trusted that instinct and we all threw ourselves into making it work, so it was nice to feel professionally seen whilst making a song about feeling personally seen!”
The song starts with clipped digital manipulations and sprightly string samples while introducing us to Cohen-Towell as a younger person with “very long hair” who has “never gone there”. She soon takes the plunge to explore her sexuality; “But when the pill kicks in / It’s a funny old thing / It’s the easiest star to follow,” she admits, the excitement rising with the pitch in her voice as Divorce inject a glam-rock riff that leads to a piano-led second act. What follows is a more sober reflection on Cohen-Towel’s queer relationship, settled and satisfied, the intimacy dripping out of her pristine voice. Finally, Divorce set off on a sprightly Camera Obscura-esque sunshine pop finale, where she admits that she might be putting too much pressure on this long-distance relationship – not helped by a lot of back and forth on trains – but this is one that is built to last, it can take the strain because it’s bonded together by love.
Check out the visualizer for “Pill” below or find the song on streamers.
Divorce’s debut album Drive To Goldenhammer arrives on 7 March through Gravity / Capitol (pre-order/save). Find the band on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter.
They’ve got these UK live dates ahead:
Mar 27 – The Bullingdon, Oxford, UK
Mar 28 – Strange Brew, Bristol, UK – SOLD OUT
Mar 29 – The Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, UK
Mar 31 – Ulster Sports Club, Belfast, UK
Apr 01 – The Workman’s Club, Dublin, IE
Apr 03 – Gorilla, Manchester, UK
Apr 04 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, UK – SOLD OUT
Apr 05 – Stereo, Glasgow, UK
Apr 08 – Chalk, Brighton, UK
Apr 09 – KOKO, London, UK
