by Tyler Boudreaux
Photography by Parker Woods
Fashion by Kaitlyn Vitug
Pale Waves exist in the ethereal space between dark wave and pop rock. Heather Baron-Gracie’s vocals float in the sonic sharpness while the flashing guitar strokes, grooving bass and calculated drums blend into a polished production.
Although you can attribute their music, along with their British goth aesthetic, to a distillation of Garbage and The Cure, their sound stretches beyond any genre-borders. It’s purely modern and extremely catchy.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Charlie wears top LUKE VICIOUS. Ciara wears top LUKE VICIOUS. Heather wears top FIORUCCI. necklace LUKE VICIOUS. all other jewelry her own. Hugo wears top vintage. pants JOYRICH. necklace his own.
Heather and drummer Ciara Doran began writing songs collaboratively after meeting at university in Manchester, and have since wasted no time sharing their waves. They brought in guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood into the fold to form Pale Waves in 2014, and a few years later signed to Dirty Hit Records (The 1975, The Japanese House).
They introduced the world to their sound in 2017 with their first single, “There’s a Honey,” a moving ballad of young love and the anxiety of giving it your all. “It’s not easy / I want to feel / something different for once” Heather laments with her soft, lucid vocals.
Their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises, captures the energy building from over a year’s worth of hot releases. The songs are intimate serenades of deep crushes, personal reflections, and powerful, raw, emotions. “Came In Close” and “Drive” move you with a boogie bass and synth-fueled dance beat while “Karl” and “When Did I Lose It All” stroke those vulnerable expressions usually kept locked in the bathroom.
Heather wears jacket and pants ANNAKIKI. jewelry her own.
From track to track you bounce up and down sine waves of emotions. At times, like on “She,” it feels like you’re looking in the mirror with Heather as she points out her deepest insecurities.
The Pale Waves goth remix of modern pop, balances the sensation of 80s music with the emo-pop triumphs of early aughts angst (a la Avril Lavigne or Paramore). “Television Romance” and “Kiss” feature a riveting rhythm that drives you into an upbeat dance fever and moves you into that singing-a-repetitive-chorus-with-your-eyes-closed feeling. The song and music video for “Noise” is straight out of the P!nk “Don’t Let Me Get Me” playbook.
Whereas much of modern pop has began leaning towards the electronica production element, big pop acts like The 1975 have been aiming to bring the formula back to the four-piece rock band format. And many young fans have been receptive to it. The 1975 sell out stadiums all over the world, and have been very instrumental in Pale Waves’ successes. Not only as their label and tourmates, but also with the 1975’s frontman Matt Healy producing the album and directing the “Television Romance” video.
Heather wears top and pants FIORUCCI. necklace LUKE VICIOUS. all other jewelry her own. shoes LE SAUNDA.
The most captivating element of Pale Waves is how their style immaculately embodies their sound. Heather is an enchanting lead-singer, with her stringy black hair and stark haircut, silver rings and chipped black nail polish combination. She sings with a black lipstick smile.
With Ciara as the yang to Heather’s yin, she sports bleach-blonde hair and exposed dark roots, dark clothes and dark lipstick. Both Ciara and Heather always wear dark eyeshadow around their light colored eyes. Hugo and Charlie subscribe to the UK fashion standard of cropped pants with Doc Martens, tucked shirts, and modern bowl cuts. They are all pale like ghosts.
Each of the members of Pale Waves bring a layer of confidence in their craft, their style, and their music, that contributes to the overall vibrancy of the sound. Their music videos evoke this confidence in a number of spaces, and many of the new tracks on My Mind Makes Noises are paired with crisp and compelling visuals worthy of being in rotation on retro MTV.
The name Pale Waves expresses their craft so perfectly, it introduces you to every aspect of the band and their sound without even pushing play.
FROM LEFT: Ciara wears top ISSEY MIYAKE. pants ASHLEY JOHNSON. sunglasses GIVENCHY. jewelry her own. belt stylist’s own. Charlie wears shirt GUCCI. pants vintage. Hugo wears shirt THE KOOPLES. pants vintage. Heather wears jacket ANNAKIKI. jewelry her own.
Hair by Antoine Martinez
Makeup by Sara Tagaloa
Pale Waves’ My Mind Makes Noises is available everywhere now.