Pale Waves Release Fourth Studio Album 'Smitten'
“Kiss Me Again” follows the recent release of “Thinking About You” and lead single “Perfume."
By: Josh Sharpe Sep. 27, 2024
Critically acclaimed UK darlings Pale Waves have released their anticipated fourth studio album Smitten via Dirty Hit. Produced by Iain Berryman (Wolf Alice, Florence and the Machine, beabadoobee) and written between the US and UK over a two-year period, Smitten showcases the band’s most accomplished work to date, delivering a version of themselves developed in sound, confidence, and identity.
Smitten blends the band’s timeless indie rock with a new wave of romantic nostalgia to celebrate Pale Waves’ newfound level of freedom and self-acceptance while they reflect on their roots and explore themes of vulnerability, love, sexuality, queerness, finding yourself, moving on, and growing up.
“We’re so glad ‘Smitten’ is now in your hands,” shares frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie. “It's existed in our lives for years now and we’re extremely proud of this album. We love the world that we’ve created and its unapologetic celebration of queer love.”
In tandem with release week, Pale Waves also shared their new single “Kiss Me Again,” a shot of sugary sweet pop-fluency that is as playful as it is flirty and recollects a one-night affair, a tale that captures an endearingly relatable recklessness. PRESS HERE to listen to the single.
“‘Kiss Me Again’ is about being reckless and enjoying a situation in your own messed up way that you know you shouldn’t be in... in my case having fun with a ‘straight’ girl,” adds Heather.
“Kiss Me Again” follows the recent release of “Thinking About You” and lead single “Perfume” which premiered as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record and finds the band in a hazy, lovestruck fairytale reminiscent of The Cure and The Cranberries. “Perfume” was followed by breakup anthem “Glasgow” and single “Gravity,” a guitar-laden banger about Heather dating a woman who was struggling with her sexuality and couldn’t choose between their relationship or her religion.
Borrowing from all of Pale Waves’ previous albums – and deviating from the rebellious pop punk sound of 2022 album Unwanted - to create something entirely new, Smitten is their realest and most grounded record to date and captures the excitement and euphoria as well as the confusion and pain of early queer relationships. Smitten is lyrically preoccupied with past lives and sees Heather Baron-Gracie reflecting upon her roots and finding herself in a headspace where she could finally breathe and reflect.
“I found myself writing about not just a certain time period, but my whole life, from years ago,” Heather shares. “When I fall in love, I fall deep, and it’s interesting to me that you can feel so fascinated and smitten with someone and then they can become a total stranger. So I feel like Smitten really summarized perfectly what I felt for others at a certain point.”
Pale Waves will be hitting the road in October for their UK headline tour which will make stops in major cities across the country and includes a hometown performance at Neighbourhood Festival as well as a sold out stop at London’s Outernet. PRESS HERE for tickets.
2024 TOUR DATES
October 3 – The Waterfront – Norwich, UK
October 4 – O2 Academy – Liverpool, UK
October 5 - Neighbourhood Festival - Manchester, UK
October 6 – Rock City – Nottingham, UK
October 8 – Chalk – Brighton, UK
October 9 – O2 Academy – Bristol, UK
October 10 – Foundry – Sheffield, UK
October 11 – Fat Sam’s – Dundee, UK
October 13 – SWG3 – Glasgow, UK
October 14 – Boiler Shop – Newcastle, UK
October 15 – O2 Institute – Birmingham, UK
October 17 – HERE at Outernet – London, UK SOLD OUT
October 18 – HERE at Outernet – London, UK
December 9 – Bigcat – Osaka, Japan
December 10 – Toyosu PIT – Tokyo, Japan
About Pale Waves
Drawing strength from not fitting into a mold while encouraging inclusivity and self-acceptance across their discography, the band has received international acclaim from Pitchfork, Vanity Fair, Billboard, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Buzzfeed, The FADER, AV Club, Vulture, Consequence, Stereogum, Alternative Press, NYLON, and more, for their 2022 album Unwanted which was recorded with producer Zakk Cervini (Blink-182, Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly). Unwanted marked new territory for the band as they flipped the script on their sound to tap into darker emotions with the rage of a 90s rock band and 13 fresh, defiant pop-punk tracks including singles “Clean,” “Jealousy,” and “Lies.” Comprised of front woman Heather Baron-Gracie (she/her); drummer Ciara Doran (they/them); guitarist Huge Silvani (he/him) and bassist Charlie Wood (he/him), they have toured the globe with The 1975, 5 Seconds of Summer, Muse, The Cure, and more, and made an immediate splash when they debuted on the music scene with their debut album My Mind Makes Noises before following it up with their hit sophomore album Who Am I? in 2021 which hit #3 on the UK album charts and welcomed standout tracks “Change,” “Easy,” and “She’s My Religion.”
Photo credit: Kelsi Luck
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