Transatlantic indie maestros Prima Queen release debut LP ‘The Prize’, out today (April 25th) via Submarine Cat Records (Swim Deep, FEET, Home Counties, Fraulein).
Packed with effusive, empathic melodies, ‘The Prize’ sees the duo push their musicianship to the outer limits, with all four lead singles including ‘Oats’, ‘Fool’, ‘Ugly’ and their title-track seeing them tap into the shimmering pop sensibilities of HAIM and Jenny Lewis, with an openness of spirit that defines the entire record. Candid, involving and full of character, Prima Queen’s music has certainly become a world unto itself. The songs of Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden play like a love letter to the radical power of friendship; to the fans who have reveled in the band’s bitingly charismatic storytelling.
Produced by Steph Marziano (Hayley Williams, Let’s Eat Grandma) and recorded at Oxfordshire’s Angelic Studios in late 2023, the musicians approached the record with the intention to paint all of their emotional revelations on a rich sonic canvas. Partly inspired by the euphoria the group experienced on stage over the 18 months while touring with the likes of Olivia Dean, Wet Leg and Whitney, Prima Queen has also recently supported Everything Everything on their extensive winter UK tour and attracted plenty of fanfare in the process. Primed to celebrate their album release with an in-store run, the two-piece will then head out to Europe before their biggest ever UK headline tour (including a London headliner at Islington Assembly Hall on May 22nd) and a slot alongside returning indie favourites The Maccabees at All Points East (London) this summer.
Having built a glowing live reputation through appearances at the likes of Glastonbury, SXSW and Pitchfork Paris in recent times, Prima Queen have already gained widespread approval from all corners of the press landscape (The Guardian, The I Paper, The Independent, The Times, NME, DIY, Dork, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, Rough Trade, The New Cue, The Forty-Five), whilst multiple previous singles have all landed on the BBC 6 Music playlist (Steve Lamacq, Huw Stephens, Lauren Laverne, Craig Charles) to significant acclaim.
Speaking ahead of their album’s arrival, the duo revealed: “‘The Prize’ is a culmination of nearly 10 years of friendship and shared experiences.
Moments on the album date back to when we first met and decided from opposite sides of the world that our friendship was so important that we needed to make being together a way of life. Others tell stories of more recent experiences and act as love letters to our younger selves expressed in some of the earlier tracks. The rest are our hopes for the future, acting as mantras for finding levity in moments where it can be hard to find. It’s a conversation of growth and empowerment woven together by our love and commitment to each other.
It goes from Mexico to Glastonbury to ball-pits and to spaceships. It talks about peaches, blood in the sink, heartbreak, getting lost in the sauce and finding yourself again. It’s a whole lot of things in one.”
Prima Queen’s ‘The Prize’ (LP) is out now via Submarine Cat Records and available on all digital platforms.
Make sure to catch the duo in Europe - list below!
Live Dates
- 4th May - Privatclub, Berlin
- 15th May - Yard Club at Kantine, Cologne
- 16th May - London Calling, Amsterdam
- 17th May - La Mecanique Ondulatoire, Paris