Charlie Bishop - “Pillow Head”

We first became completely enamored with Charlie Bishop’s songwriting when he sent us “Apple Seeds,” and today he’s returned with “Pillow Head,” an extremely raw and unapologetic look into the trenches of depression.

For those of you unfamiliar with Bishop’s craft, his music has a sublimely stripped-back and authentic character to it that forces you to believe every single word he delivers. With “Pillow Head,” listeners first get an earful of lo-fi and intimate plucks from an acoustic guitar. Quite honestly, it is as though he’s just opened up his guitar case in order to show you a freshly written tune.

Bishop’s vocal performance adds an immense weight to the arrangement, both through its emotional delivery and its lyrical content. We are no strangers to the darker subject matter and “Pillow Head” deeply resonates with us in the way that it describes the excuses we sometimes make for our mental ailments. It’s packed with lines that can open old wounds, traversing life’s troubles and realizing the hell of living in your own head.

Subject matter aside, “Pillow Head” is meticulously constructed, building in intensity as it treks forward, with deep notes from a bass providing a foundation and the ghostly, ethereal tones from a pedal steel adding a dreamy width. All of this is propelled forward with barebones percussive elements, as the subtle swells of an organ pad out the song’s underbelly.

About the track, Bishop adds: “I wrote this song during a depressive phase in college when I found myself hiding in my room, surrounded by pillows. My friends would ask, “Where have you been?” and I’d make up excuses, unable to admit the truth. This song captures that dialogue and the struggle to connect with those around me.”

Charlie Bishop’s “Pillow Head” will reach directly inside of you, allowing you to feel seen and offering a folksy canopy to shelter you from your emotional peril. We highly recommend getting it into your ears as soon as humanly possible, as well as connecting with Bishop online: Spotify | Instagram | TikTok | Bandcamp

-HD

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