Pale Waves / Smitten LP / Out Now

PALE WAVES

SMITTEN LP // OUT NOW

KISS ME AGAIN // FOCUS TRACK

HEADLINE UK TOUR // OCTOBER

PHOTO CREDIT: KELSI LUCK

“Smitten is a loved-up record that will have you falling for Pale Waves all over again …” NME 4*

“Love, heartbreak, growing up and self-discovery are the ingredients to this emotional rollercoaster of a cocktail, and it’s simply beautiful” CLASH 8/10

“An album that gives an irresistible soundtrack to a modern diary of love and life, Smitten is the sound of that Pale Waves spark turning into the headline firework display of the year” DORK 5*

“Landing somewhere between the 80s new wave of their debut and mainstream pop, and now with the self-expression of a far more confident songwriter” DIY 4*

“Teenaged at heart, but adult in mind and execution, Smitten combines sounds, moods and eras to present arguably Pale Waves’ most complete album” THE SKINNY 4*

PALE WAVES have released their fourth album Smitten via Dirty Hit alongside new single Kiss Me Again. The album showcases the band’s most accomplished work to date, delivering a version of themselves developed in sound, confidence and identity.

Listen to and order Smitten: https://palewaves.ffm.to/smitten

Listen to Kiss Me Again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBFDt02UwVA

Kiss Me Again is another shot of sugar-sweet pop fluency, playful and flirty as it recollects a one night love affair with a tale that captures an endearingly and relatable recklessness. Of the track, front woman Heather Baron-Gracie says: “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.”

Speaking about the album, Heather says: “We’re so glad Smitten is now in your hands. 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.”

Written between the US and UK over a two year period, Smitten finds the band reflecting upon their Northern roots. Deviating from the rebellious pop punk sound of the 2022 album Unwanted, this new record is full of vivid, earwormy hooks, thwacking snares and jangly alt-pop that sounds fresh out of their home city of Manchester.

Lyrically, the record is preoccupied with past lives – some more recent than others. Heather found herself in a headspace where she could finally breathe and reflect, like peeling through the pages of a long-forgotten teenage diary and being surprised by what she found.

‘I found myself writing about not just a certain time period, but my whole life from years ago,” says Heather. “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 summarised perfectly what I felt for others at a certain point.”

So much of Smitten captures the excitement and euphoria of early queer relationships, some of which comes alongside confusion and pain. On lead single Perfume, an infectious 1980s-leaning anthem reminiscent of bands like The Cure and The Cranberries, Heather sings about being totally enamoured with a person: “My mother says that when I want something I never let go / Call me obsessed but I don’t mind just as long as it’s all mine”.

SMITTEN TRACK LIST

Glasgow
Not a Love Song
Gravity
Thinking About You
Perfume
Last Train Home
Kiss Me Again
Miss America
Hate to Hurt You
Seeing Stars
Imagination
Slow

SMITTEN ALBUM ARTWORK

Fresh off the back of a packed summer of US tour dates with PVRIS and UK festival performances, the band will soon embark on their October headline tour in support of Smitten. “These will be the best Pale Waves shows to date,” says Heather. “The UK is home for us so these shows are even more special and we’re so excited to get to play songs from Smitten live.”

OCTOBER

Thu 03 NORWICH Waterfront

Fri 04 LIVERPOOL O2 Academy

Sat 05 MANCHESTER Neighbourhood Festival

Sun 06 NOTTINGHAM Rock City

Tue 08 BRIGHTON CHALK

Wed 09 BRISTOL O2 Academy

Thu 10 SHEFFIELD Foundry

Fri 11 DUNDEE Fat Sams

Sun 13 GLASGOW SWG3

Mon 14 NEWCASTLE Boiler Shop

Tue 15 BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute