Photo via Pale Waves
Pale Waves
To say that indie rockers Pale Waves are a busy band would be an understatement. On Wednesday, the band released their newest single, “The Hard Way,” from their upcoming album, Unwanted, due out in August. On top of that, they’re currently touring in support of pop act 5 Seconds of Summer, as well as headlining their own shows in between opening dates, essentially putting on two tours at once. In the midst of all that perpetual motion, we had a chance to connect with frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie of the band ahead of their Friday night headlining show at The Rave. Here’s what she had to say about the whirlwind that is Pale Waves right now.
It's a very big summer for you guys. How are things holding up?
Really good! We’re midway through the tour. It’s been a lot of fun.
Does it feel like you’re running two tours at once, splitting opening and headlining nights?
Yeah it does honestly, because we go from these huge venues to these like smaller intimate shows, which is really cool, but it's such an opposite experience. It definitely keeps us on our toes. We're super excited to come back to The Rave. It's one of our favorite venues honestly. It’s mysterious. So many rooms, so many doors. I think it's haunted?
That’s the rumor, that the pool is haunted. Have you ever checked it out?
I've been down there a few times. It’s so cool.
Playing big rooms and then going to smaller venues, do you get a chance to test out material that way?
Yeah. On our last headlining show, we played a new song that we'd never played live before, and we wanted to test it with our own smaller headline shows. That went down really well, so we’re putting in in our set on the 5SOS tour as well.
You’ve got a new record coming out soon. What’s more exciting for you, making the record itself or getting it out to the world?
I mean the whole entire journey is pretty exciting. I feel like releasing it is the kind of the climax, because you work so hard up until that point, when everyone gets to just take it away and keep it for themselves. I think it's so interesting, hearing everyone’s interpretations of it and how the right song is sitting in their life and how they feel about it. Yeah I think releasing it is the most satisfying part.
What do you think is the biggest change for Pale Waves between your last record and now?
I think our sound definitely took a heavier direction. We've gone just a bit more offensive, which was definitely a conscious decision of ours. We wanted to sound even more like an established band and I feel like we're going to continue to head in that direction.
What does the rest of the year look like for the band after this tour?
Yeah, we're playing Japan, and then the United Kingdom. We'll be coming back to the states for our own headlining tour after that. We’re literally so busy up until Christmas. That's when we get a break.
What should people be expecting from the band on Friday night at The Rave?
Just a fun time, honestly. A chance for people to enjoy themselves and be alive, where they can be truly themselves and feel comfortable, and feel like they're in a safe space.
You can catch Pale Waves with Gatlin at The Rave for an all-ages show on Friday night. Tickets are available via The Rave website.
