Blues Pills

Not to be confused with Blue Pills.
For other uses, see Blue pill (disambiguation).

Blues Pills
Blues Pills performing at Reload Festival in 2015
Blues Pills performing at Reload Festival in 2015
Background information
OriginÖrebro, Sweden
GenresHard rock, blues rock, psychedelic rock
Years active2011–present
LabelsCrusher, Nuclear Blast
MembersElin Larsson
Zack Anderson
André Kvarnström
Kristoffer Schander
Past membersCory Berry
Dorian Sorriaux
Websitebluespills.com

Blues Pills are a Swedish rock band, formed in Örebro in 2011. The band has released three studio albums, two EPs, three live albums and five singles since its formation. Their latest studio album, Birthday, was released in August 2024 through BMG.

History

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Formation and EPs (2011–2013)

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In 2011, step-brothers Zack Anderson (bass) and Cory Berry (drums) of the band Radio Moscow met singer Elin Larsson while touring in California. Together they recorded two demo tracks and published them on YouTube, after which label "Crusher Records" offered them a deal. The band toured to Spain and France, where they met 16-year-old guitarist Dorian Sorriaux, whom they invited to Örebro and made a member of the band. The name of the band came from their friend, Jens Heide, who had a music blog called BluesPillz with obscure 60s and 70s underground music.[1]

In May 2012 they released an EP called "Bliss", followed by the "Black Smoke" single in July.[2][3] The band toured extensively during 2013 with appearances in Berlin's "Desertfest" in April,[4] in Bad Kötzting's "Void Fest"[5] and Geel's "Yellowstock Festival" in August,[6] in Bonn's "Crossroads Festival" in October and Melbourne's "Cherry Rock Festival" in November 2013.[7][8]

In July 2013, Blues Pills signed a contract with the "Nuclear Blast" label and released their "Devil Man" EP in October .[9][10] Their appearance at the "Crossroads Festival" was recorded and released in the form of the "Live at Rockpalast" EP in March 2014.[11]

The self-titled debut album and Lady in Gold (2014–2017)

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Guitarist Dorian Sorriaux left the band in 2018.

In July 2014 they released their first album, Blues Pills, the special edition of which included a DVD of their appearance in the "Hammer of Doom" festival from the year before.[12] Shortly after the release of the first album, Cory Berry was replaced with new drummer André Kvarnström.

In mid-2014 they appeared in the "Sweden Rock Festival",[13] in Gelsenkirchen's "Rock Hard Festival" in June and in the famous Montreux Jazz Festival in July 2014.[14][15]

The album became successful in Europe, climbing to No. 4 in Germany and No. 10 in Switzerland, while it also reached British charts at No. 68.[16]

During the end of 2015 and the start of 2016, the band started writing and recording their second album. On 22 April 2016, Blues Pills announced that Lady in Gold would be released on 5 August 2016 through Nuclear Blast with a ten track set-list.[17]

In 2016, Blues Pills toured with Kadavar, play festivals in the summer in North America and Europe followed by a UK tour in November.

A live album Lady in Gold Live in Paris was announced with a release date of 3 November 2017.[18]

Departure of Dorian Sorriaux and Holy Moly! (2018–present)

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In November 2018 the band announced the peaceful departure of guitarist Dorian Sorriaux via a post on their Facebook page. Work on a third album will continue, with Zack Anderson moving to guitar. In October 2019, it was announced that Kristoffer Schander would be joining on the bass guitar, in the same post, they have also announced that they were working on their third studio album, set to be released in 2020.[19]

On 6 March 2020, the band released the first single of their third album, "Proud Woman", in the same video, they announced their upcoming third studio album is titled Holy Moly!. On 10 April 2020, they released their second single from the upcoming album titled "Low Road" which was accompanied by an official music video. On 10 July 2020, they released the third and final single titled "Kiss By Past Goodbye". Holy Moly! was originally meant to be released on 19 June 2020 but was postponed to 21 August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Band members

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  • Elin Larsson
    Elin Larsson
  • Zach Anderson
    Zach Anderson
  • André Kvarnström
    André Kvarnström
  • Kristoffer Schander
    Kristoffer Schander

Discography

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Albums
Date Album SWE GER
[20] 		SWI
[21] 		AUT
[22] 		FIN
[23] 		UK
[24] 		BEL
[25] 		FRA
[26]
2014 Blues Pills 4 10 19 21 68 72 118
2015 Blues Pills - Live 148
2016 Lady in Gold 27 1 2 12 6 31 27 55
[27]
2017 Lady in Gold - Live in Paris
2020 Holy Moly! 4 11 6 24
[28]		 89 69 148
2024 Birthday 12 14 24
EPs
  • Bliss (25 May 2012)
  • Devil Man (18 October 2013)
  • Live at Rockpalast (28 March 2014)
Singles
  • Black Smoke (3 July 2012)
  • High Class Woman (2014)
  • Lady in Gold (2016)
  • Proud Woman (2020)
  • Low Road (2020)
  • Birthday (2024)
Compilations
  • Golden Treasures (August 2016) (insert in the German RockHard magazine Vol. 351)[29]

References

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  1. ^ "Rock Overdose - News - BLUES PILLS on Rock Overdose: "It's all about the feeling and soul in the music for us"". www.rockoverdose.gr. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  2. ^ "Bliss EP". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  3. ^ "Black Smoke 7". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Desertfest Berlin 2013". Songkick. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Void Festival Kötzting, Tickets for Concerts & Music Events 2015 – Songkick". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Yellowstock Festival 2013". Songkick. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Harmonie/Crossroads Festival 2013". Songkick. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Cherry Rock Festival at Ac/dc Lane Melbourne, Tickets for Concerts & Music Events 2015 – Songkick". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Blues Pills Signs With Nuclear Blast Records - Blabbermouth.net". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. 26 July 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Devil Man EP". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  11. ^ "Live At Rockpalast EP". Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Blues Pills LP". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Sweden Rock Festival 2014". Songkick. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Rockpalast - Kultur". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Montreux Jazz Festival Montreux, Tickets for Concerts & Music Events 2015 – Songkick". Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  16. ^ "Blues Pills - Blues Pills". αCharts. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  17. ^ "Blues Pills announce new album". Blues Pills (via Facebook). Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  18. ^ "BLUES PILLS - announce DVD/Blu ray, on tour! - Nuclear Blast". Nuclear Blast Records. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  19. ^ "Blues Pills: Facebook announcement". Facebook. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Discographie von Blues Pills". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  21. ^ Blues Pills – Blues Pills – hitparade.ch Archived 10 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ austriancharts.at, Blues Pills – Blues Pills Archived 9 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ finnishcharts.com – Blues Pills – Blues Pills Archived 25 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ BLUE PILLS | Artist | Official Charts Archived 25 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ ultratop.be – Blues Pills – Blues Pills
  26. ^ lescharts.com – Blues Pills – Blues Pills
  27. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes - SNEP (Week 32, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  28. ^ "Suomen virallinen lista – Albumit 35/2020" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  29. ^ "Blues Pills: exklusive "Golden Treasures"-CD in Rock Hard Vol. 351" (in German). Rock Hard Verlags- und Handels- GmbH. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2016.

BLUES PILLS on Rock Overdose: "It's all about the feeling and soul in the music for us"

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