Despite the song title, the debut single from Halifax-based alt-folk duo Pillow Fite, “Playing The Fool,” does not mess around. The pair of Art Ross and Aaron Green deal in straightforward lyrics, putting the complexities of modern dating at the forefront with an homage to a promising queer romance along with all excitement and anxieties.
The band layer those matter-of-fact lyrics with some deliciously tasteful instrumentation (along with backing vocals from Tori Cameron) that really shine despite taking a backseat; business as usual for another stellar contribution from Green (Floodland, The Town Heroes, Hello Delaware). Green also took a moment to flex his production chops on the song, with some additional production mixing by multi-award-winning John Mullane (In-Flight Safety).
“I practically begged them to let me work on their music. It checks so many boxes for me. It’s reminiscent of early Aimee Mann’s ‘Til Tuesday but not derivative,” says Mullane. “It also brings to mind boygenius, but confidently carves its own unique point of view. I cannot wait for folks to hear this first track.”
The band themselves name their influences as Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy and Snail Mail, but it’s the video shot by Loren Baldwin with its lowkey Juggalo aesthetic, or a downcast Courtney Barnett vibe, that really seals the deal. The makeup work of Shannon Long bafflingly invokes an unnerving sense that just maybe this could catch on.
With that look the band ties in the punchline about playing the fool with something that seems darker and more painful than wearing your heart on your sleeve. All the while they’ve tapped the sense of pervasive anxiety that seems to universally manifest in laundromats; essentially, romantic purgatory. It’s the dark side of experiencing butterflies.
“Playing The Fool” is a big leap forward as Pillow Fite’s debut and, in a sea of self-shot videos, stands out as a quality project that speaks awfully well of the band’s prospects.
Pillow Fite had made plans of celebrating the release of “Playing the Fool” this week with two sold-out shows at The Carleton in Halifax, however, they have been forced to reschedule the event due to the ongoing circumstances which need not be named. No word on any new dates yet.