Opinion | Sweet Pill — a band you should get into

Sweet Pill is a fantastic alternative emo band out of Philadelphia that I absolutely adore. I think that more people should listen to them if they are not familiar with them. The band consists of lead vocalist Zayna Youssef, drummer Chris Kearney, bassist Ryan Cullen and guitarists Sean McCall and Jayce Williams. 

The band’s first single, “Doubt,” was released in 2019. Following that single was an EP titled “Lost In It.” You can find that on Sweet Pill’s Bandcamp along with the rest of their music. Their first album, “Where the Heart Is,” was released in May of 2022 and featured songs like “High Hopes,” “Red String” and “Dog Song.” 

A fascinating thing I enjoy about this album is the order of the last three songs. It goes “Fate,” then “Red String” and then “Cut.” If you do not know about the red string theory, it is the idea of having a destined lover that you are connected with by a “red string.” “Fate” is a short instrumental which then goes into “Red String,” which seems to describe the idea of feeling not worthy of love — at least that is how I interpret it. My favorite set of lyrics are “Red string of fate is tangling/ I’ll gently pull on the thread” and “You are so damn far/ the other end just dangling/ the other end just dead.”

On March 15, Sweet Pill launched its new EP, “Starchild.” This EP is made up of 4 songs — “Starchild,” “Chewed Up,” “Eternal” and “Sympathy.” As part of my spring break, I decided to see them perform live for the first time on March 16 when I was at home. Sweet Pill had a free EP release show to celebrate the release of “Starchild” at Hello Donuts + Coffee in Philadelphia. In addition to playing all of the songs from “Starchild,” they also performed a few songs from the rest of their discography. Apart from performing live music for free, they also had a meet and greet and were selling tickets for their upcoming performance in Philadelphia. They were also selling their new EP on vinyl — of course I bought one, and they also signed it for me. Sweet Pill will be playing at Union Transfer on May 10. The bands Catbite, Equipment, Broke Body and Have a Good Season will also be playing alongside Sweet Pill.

This is Sweet Pill’s first headlining tour. During this tour, they will be making a stop in Pittsburgh on April 15 at Thunderbird Café and Music Hall, where Equipment and Have A Good Season will also be playing with them. 

Sweet Pill has also toured and played with bands like LA Dispute, Hot Mulligan, Mayday Parade, The Wonder Years and more. Sweet Pill and The Wonder Years are both bands signed to Hopeless Records. Hopeless Records signed Sweet Pill on Sept. 27, 2023 — when the band also released its lead single “Starchild” from its new EP. 

Sweet Pill is a fantastic band that truly deserves more recognition. Not only do they create amazing music, but they are such kind people as well. Sweet Pill’s music has a great blend of raw emotion, tempo shifts and relatable lyrics that hit a little too close to home. Their music is super catchy and they are definitely a no-skip band for me. Not only that, but they have an incredible energy at their concerts — whether that is an acoustic set or a usual set. 

Sweet Pill also loves to connect with fans. For example, its song “Dog Song,” has fans included in the music video. Sweet Pill is heavily involved with the local music scene of Philadelphia. In fact, guitarist Jayce Williams is part of 4333 Collective, a Philadelphia music collective. If you ever have the chance to see them live, take that chance — you will enjoy it!

Want music recommendations? Irene has you covered. You can email her at inm24@pitt.edu.