The Pill – in session for Steve Lamacq – BBC 6 Music on June 9, 2025.
Making the choice not to make Monday night mellow, by any stretch of the imagination, a little high-voltage brain scrambling from The Pill.
The non-conforming pop-culture website Dork had a few pithy things to say about The Pill in March of 2025. Here’s a taste:
Like a punk-rock version of Pinocchio, what began as two teenagers’ digital puppet show soon transformed into something real, complete with razor-sharp wit, frenetic energy, and a deliciously sardonic worldview. The Pill’s ascension was a very happy accident.
“We actually originally started the band as a joke. Shocking, I know, as we’re so serious now,” explains Lottie, one-half of the band’s core duo. “Back in 2019, we made our Instagram page and hid our identities and tried to build up some fake form of hype over our fake band – obviously bored and procrastinating school work to engage in some sort of weird social experiment.”
The experiment took an unexpected turn when their mysterious online presence began generating genuine interest. “People actually started getting interested, so we thought ‘maybe we should actually do this?’” Lottie continues. “Then promptly booking our first rehearsal and arranging our first ever show, which actually sold out – crazy.”
The band’s formation story becomes even more remarkable considering that guitarist Lily hadn’t even played before The Pill. “We had never done anything like this before, Lily actually learnt guitar for the band,” Lottie reveals. “I don’t think in a million years we would’ve expected what is happening with The Pill today when we were sitting in my bedroom making that Instagram account.”
Their musical foundations, however, run deeper than their playful beginnings might suggest. Both members grew up immersed in rich musical environments. For Lily, The Cure provided an early soundtrack: “The Cure was a huge part of my growing up; I remember listening to their ‘Greatest Hits’ album in the car with my dad on holiday when I was 10, and it stuck with me ever since.”
Lottie’s musical awakening came through both parental influence and popular culture. “I grew up very influenced by my dad’s favourite music; I was a die-hard Queen fan from about the age of 6 months. ‘Radio Gaga’ was the first song I ever danced to,” she shares. A pivotal moment came while watching a certain Jack Black vehicle: “I have a core memory where I was watching School of Rock when I was around 10 or 11 and thinking the bass guitar was the coolest thing ever – I swiftly started learning, and the rest was history.”
This foundation has served them well as they’ve expanded beyond their island beginnings. Recent highlights include commanding the River Stage at the Isle Of Wight Festival and making their European debut at Eurockéenes. The connection with their growing audience remains central to their mission. “Anyone who listens to our music or comes to our show and has fun – that is probably the biggest compliment to us,” they share. “Seeing people laugh at our jokes or our lyrics is very surreal, but an amazing feeling.”
Looking to the year ahead, The Pill’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. “We have a very crazy 2025 coming up. It is going to be the year of The Pill, so will 2026,” they declare. “New music is in the works, too, so keep your ears ready. It’s going to be a big bimbo summer.”
That should give you some idea, if you aren’t already familiar. You can check out the rest of the article at Dork’s website (which you really need to check out and subscribe to).
In the meantime – Press Play and prepare to riot.
