Philadelphia’s Sweet Pill are officially back—and they’re not easing into it. The band dropped their gripping new single Slow Burn, a restless, anxiety-soaked track that cuts straight to the emotional core, alongside a striking new video directed by OD Blank.
Slow Burn is the latest taste of Sweet Pill’s forthcoming album ‘Still There’s A Glow,’ out March 13, 2026 via Hopeless Records—a release already landing on “most anticipated” lists from Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan. If the single is any indication, this next chapter is heavier, sharper, and more self-aware than ever.
Anxiety, Surveillance, and the Comfort of Bad Habits
At the heart of Slow Burn is a familiar contradiction: the things that feel good in the moment but quietly do damage over time. Vocalist Zayna Youssef frames the song around the image of a cigarette—each drag offering brief relief while inching toward destruction.
“There are countless things in my life I take a deeeep, slow drag from that really don’t benefit me,” Youssef explains. “Short-term satisfaction, long-term consequences—one big slow burn.”
That tension carries into the video, which explores anxiety through the idea of constant surveillance—cameras watching, thoughts spiraling, and the feeling of being trapped inside your own head. It’s a snapshot of overthinking pushed to the brink, where confidence, bad habits, and self-doubt loop endlessly.
Building Toward ‘Still There’s A Glow’
Slow Burn follows earlier singles Glow and No Control, tracks that earned Sweet Pill praise from Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, The Needle Drop, and more. Together, they point toward an album rooted in reflection, recovery, and forward motion.
‘Still There’s A Glow’ is the sound of a band taking stock after a whirlwind few years. Following their 2022 debut ‘Where the Heart Is,’ Sweet Pill toured relentlessly—sharing stages with La Dispute and The Wonder Years, building a passionate fanbase, and earning co-signs from artists like Hayley Williams and Doja Cat. But nonstop momentum comes at a cost.
Youssef entered therapy, faced depression, and began questioning the patterns she’d been stuck in—both personally and creatively.
“I could’ve kept making bad choices because they’re easy,” she says. “But I had to come clean to myself.”
That reckoning split the album in two—songs written before and after that turning point—resulting in a record that’s raw, self-critical, but ultimately hopeful. Like its title suggests, even after the fire dies down, there’s still an ember glowing.
A New Creative Era for Sweet Pill
After scrapping an entire album’s worth of demos, Sweet Pill chose to reset. ‘Still There’s A Glow’ marks the first time the band fully wrote a record together as a unit—Youssef alongside guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney.
That collaborative shift shines through. Recorded by Matt Weber and mastered by Dave Downham, the album captures the explosive energy of Sweet Pill’s live show while pushing their sound into new territory—bigger hooks, heavier hits, and moments of unexpected quiet. Fire imagery runs throughout the tracklist, mirroring themes of destruction, rebuilding, and personal transformation.
From the opening notes, this is a band that’s put itself back together.
2026 North American Tour Dates
With Heart To Gold, Spaced
# with Spaced, Stereosity
- Mar 13, 2026 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Spirit Hall *
- Mar 14, 2026 – Cleveland, OH @ Roxy at Mahall’s *
- Mar 15, 2026 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace *
- Mar 17, 2026 – Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair *
- Mar 19, 2026 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer *
- Mar 20, 2026 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw *
- Mar 21, 2026 – Washington, DC @ Atlantis *
- Mar 23, 2026 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell) *
- Mar 24, 2026 – Nashville, TN @ Basement East
- Mar 26, 2026 – Dallas, TX @ Ferris Wheelers *
- Mar 27, 2026 – Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall (Upstairs) * (Sold Out)
- Mar 28, 2026 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger *
- Mar 29, 2026 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk *
- Mar 31, 2026 – Mesa, AZ @ Rosetta Room *
- Apr 2, 2026 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre *
- Apr 3, 2026 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall *
- Apr 4, 2026 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s *
- Apr 6, 2026 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
- Apr 7, 2026 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre *
- Apr 9, 2026 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court *
- Apr 11, 2026 – Denver, CO @ Marquis #
- Apr 13, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line #
- Apr 14, 2026 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall #
- Apr 15, 2026 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Pyramid Scheme #
- Apr 17, 2026 – Columbus, OH @ King of Clubs #
Slow Burn is out now.
‘Still There’s A Glow’ arrives March 13, 2026 via Hopeless Records.
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