HEATHER BARON-GRACIE of PALE WAVES: Disintegration, Every Time
An interview by Sarah Kidd.
Originating in Manchester (how absolutely perfect that they are indeed English) Pale Waves may have only been on the scene for what seems like a heartbeat but they have already captured the minds and souls of fans all over the world.
Led by the devastatingly beautiful and almost diaphanous Heather Baron-Gracie, their debut single ‘There’s a Honey’ followed by ‘Television Romance’ – both produced by label mates The 1975 – saw them quickly carve out their place. This was then reaffirmed with the ‘Under the Radar’ award from NME in 2017. With their debut EP All the Things I Never Said prompting fans and reviewers alike to both shed a tear while dancing the night away, anticipation is high for their debut album which is due to be released in the next few months.
In the meantime New Zealand fans will get the rare chance to see them in an intimately up close and personal setting when they play Auckland’s The Tuning Fork in a few weeks. I caught up with lead vocalist Heather to discuss special bonds, themes and a mutual love for the one and only The Cure…
When you first met [drummer] Ciara Doran you originally created Creek – which basically just consisted of the two of you. How did you then transgress into becoming a fully fledged band?
“Well at first I had Ciara sort of produce my songs as a solo artist and we got along so well, we connected so amazingly over music that we knew that we wanted to create it together.
We always knew that we never wanted to be a duo; we always wanted to be a band. It was just something that we instantly agreed on straight away. I think we both listened to a lot of bands rather than solo artists and there’s just something that feels a lot more… connected when there’s four of you. It’s more powerful live as well.”
Yes, I totally agree… Now it’s obvious to all that Ciara and yourself have quite an amazing bond – how would you describe the relationship that you and Ciara have?
“I think mine and Ciara’s bond; you know people… people waste a lifetime trying to find something that is similar to what we have. We’re so similar but so opposite at the same time.
Ciara, she’s just such an important person in my life, as important as my Mum is to me! And we just work so well together musically, and music is something that we both love so much and live for that we have that bond over music and when we write it together and make something that we’re so proud of it brings us even closer.”
Interestingly you went from being Creek to Pale Waves – you even have a song called ‘The Tide’; I’m seeing a water theme here [laughs] something important to you perhaps?
[laughs] “Yeah, that just sort of happened you know? I got the name Pale Waves off a painting that my grandma did a while ago and that inspired the name but… I don’t even know how ‘The Tide’ even happened, or Creek. Maybe I am obsessed with water!” [mutual laughter]
Well it does seem to be a little bit of a running theme…
“Seems that way yeah.”
I love the fact that you got the name Pale Waves from a painting though – art and music always goes so well together.
“Oh it really does – yep, I love the visual side of music.”
Pale Waves as everyone knows has been working rather closely with the 1975; how did that come about?
“Well we sort of formed a relationship because we had the same manager and record label as them; so they heard ‘There’s A Honey’ and ‘Television Romance’ and instantly wanted to produce those two tracks.”
It’s a pretty epic band to have had the pleasure of working with; there would certainly be many a new band that would be jealous!
“Oh god yeah, very jealous. They were very inspiring; amazing musicians and great people.”
Your EP All the Things I Never Said is out now – but I’d like to ask you about your second single ‘Television Romance’, what are you saying with that track?
“Basically it’s a rejection song, a lot of people think it’s to do with romance in a positive way but in fact it’s looking at romance in a negative manner. You know that song is about me rejecting somebody that just won’t take the answer of ‘No’.
I think that happens a lot in this day and age where people just don’t listen and just keep trying to say something that obviously isn’t the same for the other person.”
And unfortunately I think it is women that are having to consistently face that problem more so than men…
“Yeah! [laughs] exactly!”
As I previously mentioned your EP is out now, but I know that Pale Waves have been in the studio working on that debut album. So when are you – tentatively – looking at releasing that?
“Oh, we don’t have a set date yet, but it’s looking like it will be the end of August – quite soon really…”
So it will be this year… wow!
“Quite scary really…” [mutual laughter]
I think the fans have been waiting with bated breath for it, so I wouldn’t be too scared – it will be snapped up pretty quick!
“Yeah, yeah… I hope so!”
While your music is very much today – there are also some wonderful, what I can only describe as ‘throwback threads’, running through it that conjure up that warmth of familiarity. It makes your music quite endearing and something that you are naturally drawn to. Would you say that this is due to the fact you are influenced by a lot of 80’s music?
“Yeah! You know our music can be quite nostalgic for a lot of people and that is because we’ve grown up with our parents listening to music from the 80’s around the house, so we subconsciously have that in the back of our brain always.
I think that the music that you listen to… as a child, it really influences you throughout your life and my Dad was always playing music around the house and he liked to play guitar as well. So I grew up with a lot of music around me and yeah we love 80’s artists and I guess you can hear that a lot in our music.”
I also understand that you are quite The Cure fan?
[chuckles] “I am…”
Well I am a huge Cure fan myself – so I have to ask, what would be your favourite record; because for me it has to be Disintegration as it was just such a pivotal album in my life…
“Yes! Yes, yes… I one hundred percent agree with you. Disintegration is the best, the best Cure album, one hundred percent for me. It’s just got – you know – so many amazing songs on there; ‘Pictures of You’, ‘Lovesong’, Fascination Street’, ‘Disintegration’… I love that album so much.”
[laughs] I am so glad we are on the same page with that! So many of my friends argue The Head on the Door or Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me but it has to be Disintegration. Every. Single. Time.
“No! It has to be Disintegration. Yep definitely!”
Well that does lead me to ask – you have a very striking aesthetic; is a little bit of that influenced by Robert Smith? [laughs] Because I can kinda see you as the female version of Robert Smith; and that’s a compliment not an insult! [laughs]
“No it is, like well me and Ciara we’ve always been influenced by you know gothic make-up but The Cure is one of our favourite bands so we definitely take inspiration off them and Robert Smith himself.
I just think he’s a fantastic and inspiring songwriter, but visually I love that after all these years he’s still kept his image, I think that’s so cool.”
I love that as well! A lot of people would say that he’s too old to be trying to pull that off – what they don’t get is that he’s not trying to pull anything off. That’s just him! That’s who he is!
“Nooooo! Yeah exactly that is him!”
[laughs]
“I love it that – you know – he’s not sort of gave in to those… people, those normal people!” [mutual laughter]
Beware the normal people…
[laughs]
Speaking of people – there are a whole lot of them here in New Zealand that are very much looking forward to seeing you perform here and who are also very grateful as we realise how far away we are sometimes…
“You’re very far away, but we’re very excited!”
So have any of the members of Pale Waves ever been to New Zealand before?
“No, no this is our first time ever for all of us in New Zealand.”
That’s very cool then…
“I know, it’s a big moment” [mutual laughter]
So may I ask what you know about our humble little land?
“Yeah I don’t know that much, but I’ve seen so many pictures and you look so beautiful! It seems that a lot of Brits always go on holiday there, so I bet that I’ll just fall in love with it!”
And will your New Zealand fans get to hear some of that new material that will be featuring on your upcoming album?
“Yeah that’s the plan, we’re gonna play some different songs and definitely spice it up a bit!”
Pale Waves are bringing their magnificent live show to Auckland’s Tuning Fork next month (Saturday, 14th July) with tickets still available from Ticketmaster. Get in quick however, as they’re selling fast and it’s sure to be a sell out!
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