The pillows are a Japanese alternative rock band formed in Hokkaido in 1989. The group has consisted of Sawao Yamanaka on vocals and guitar, Yoshiaki Manabe on guitar, and Shinichiro Sato on drums for most of its career. Kenji Ueda was an early member on bass before leaving in 1992, and the band has since operated as a trio with various support musicians, including Tatsuya Kashima and Jun Suzuki on bass.

The pillows achieved significant international recognition through their association with the anime series FLCL, which was produced by the studio Gainax and released as an original video animation starting in the year 2000. The production team licensed existing music from the band’s catalog for the soundtrack, an approach that introduced the pillows to a global audience. The band also composed two new songs specifically for the series: Ride on Shooting Star and I Think I Can.

Numerous songs by the pillows are featured prominently throughout FLCL. These include Another Morning, Blues Drive Monster, Carnival, Crazy Sunshine, and Funny Bunny. Other notable tracks heard in the series are Last Dinosaur, Hybrid Rainbow, Little Busters, Runners High, and Come Down. Many of these songs were not written for the anime but were taken from the band’s studio albums from the late 1990s. For instance, Another Morning, Hybrid Rainbow, and Little Busters originally appeared on the 1998 album Little Busters. Carnival and Crazy Sunshine are from the Monster and Funny Bunny first appeared on the 1997 album Please Mr. Lostman. The song Ride on Shooting Star was released as a single in the year 2000 and later included on compilation albums.

The pillows have released over twenty studio albums, including Please Mr. Lostman, Little Busters, Runners High, and Happy Bivouac. Their discography also includes several compilation albums, such as Fool on the Planet, and many singles. The music of the pillows is generally classified as alternative rock, power pop, and garage rock, characterized by melodic songwriting, distorted guitars, and energetic performances.

The band’s connection to anime extends beyond FLCL. Their song Scarecrow was used as an ending theme for the anime series Moonlight Mile. Additionally, the single Ladybird Girl was used as a theme song for the Japanese version of the animated series Ben 10. The band founded its own record label, Delicious Label, and was known for its influence on the Japanese alternative rock scene, inspiring many later artists. Following a career spanning 35 years, the pillows officially disbanded after a final performance in early 2025.