Philadelphia emo outfit Sweet Pill have unveiled their latest single, “Glow,” the second preview from their upcoming album Still There’s A Glow, due March 13, 2026 via Hopeless Records. Accompanied by a striking video directed by Johnny Komar, the release follows the lead single “No Control”.
“‘Glow’ is about living my life with my eyes closed,” explains vocalist Zayna Youssef. “Realising I may be on the way to rock bottom, I kind of want to pretend it isn’t happening. I perceive through a hazy lens constantly fogged by a glow. To me, a glow is a shape with no contour lines-a limitless being that draws you in as you stare. I am in a daydream-like state refusing to snap out of it. This impaired judgement sugarcoats and distracts me from reality. Yet maybe I want to keep my eyes closed a little longer.”
Still There’s A Glow marks a significant evolution for Sweet Pill, reflecting a period of deep self-reflection and growth. Written and recorded over three years following their 2022 debut Where the Heart Is, the album emerged after the band discarded almost an entire album’s worth of demos to start anew. “I went through some depression last spring, and then I went into therapy,” Youssef explains. “It was also a big turning point as I was about to turn 30, while I wrote our first record when graduating college. Half the album was written before therapy and half after. The songs are hard on myself but hopeful, with a light at the end of the tunnel. You put out a fire, there’s still an ember that’s still glowing-that’s the record. It’s about being at a low and climbing out of it.”
The quintet, consisting of Youssef, guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney, have spent much of their career touring relentlessly. Following the release of Where the Heart Is on Topshelf Records, Sweet Pill supported bands including La Dispute and The Wonder Years, while also headlining their own shows. Their live performances have been praised for blending power with finesse, and the band has earned co-signs from artists such as Hayley Williams and Doja Cat. Festival appearances include Best Friends Forever, Riot Fest, and Outbreak.
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Despite constant writing and touring, the creation of Still There’s A Glow required the band to pause and reassess their approach. “When it came time to record the next album, I was blocked and figuring out how to sing on nearly half the songs,” Youssef recalls. Stepping away from previous demos allowed the group to reconnect creatively. The result is Sweet Pill’s first release written fully as a unit with the current lineup, capturing the energy of their live shows while showcasing more nuanced dynamics in the studio.
Crisply recorded by Gradwell House’s Matt Weber and mastered by Dave Downham, Still There’s A Glow balances intensity with reflection. Some tracks are upbeat and affirmative, while others smoulder with quiet tension. Interweaving Youssef and McCall’s vocals, the songs often carry surreal, fire-and-destruction-themed titles, echoing the band’s narrative of self-confrontation and rebuilding.
Still There’s A Glow Track Listing
Sunblind
Shameless
No Control
Glow
Slow Burn
Smoke Screen
What the Devil Is Selling
Makes Me Sick
Rotten
Jinx
Tough Love
Holding On
Letting Go
Sweet Pill formed in 2018 in Philadelphia as a senior project by Youssef and Williams while attending Rowan University. Joined later by Kearney, McCall, and Cullen, the band debuted with the single “Doubt” in March 2019, followed by the EP Lost In It. They relocated to Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic and played their first show with the current lineup in May 2021. Where the Heart Is was released on May 25, 2022, and the band has since toured extensively in North America, building a devoted following. In 2023, Sweet Pill signed to Hopeless Records and released the single “Starchild.”
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