Heather Baron-Gracie

Last updated

Heather Baron-Gracie
Pale Waves @ Wiltern 07 12 2024 (53885673722).jpg
Heather Baron-Gracie in 2024
Background information
Born (1995-01-17) 17 January 1995 (age 29)
Preston, Lancashire, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
Years active2014–present
Member of Pale Waves
PartnerKelsi Luck

Heather Baron-Gracie (born 17 January 1995) is a British singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the guitarist and vocalist for the indie rock band Pale Waves.

Contents

Life and career

Early life

Heather Baron-Gracie was born in Preston, Lancashire. [1] Around the time she started secondary school, Baron-Gracie experienced a debilitating back injury: "I didn't have an accident. It just happened," she told the Evening Standard in 2018. [2] "I was complaining for ages that my back was in pain but people just thought I was just growing. I was doing sports with a broken back for ages." [2] The injury – which was severe enough that Baron-Gracie required spinal fusion surgery – very nearly paralysed her, and it forced her to miss an entire year of school. [2] It was during her recovery that Baron-Gracie got deeply invested in music: "I was always into [music] ... But when that happened, I was staying in my house and wrote music loads. And ever since that, this is what I want to do." [3]

Baron-Gracie attended the British and Irish Modern Music Institute (BIMM) in Manchester, where she met future Pale Waves drummer, Ciara Doran. [4] The two connected via a college-sponsored Facebook group and, thanks to their similar aesthetic and personality, they quickly befriended one another. [5]

Pale Waves

Originally called "Creek", Pale Waves was founded by Baron-Gracie and Doran in 2014. [6] The band later expanded to include Hugo Silvani and Charlie Wood. [7] Pale Waves is signed to the independent label Dirty Hit and has released an EP, All the Things I Never Said (2018), and three albums, My Mind Makes Noises (2018), Who Am I? (2021), and Unwanted (2022). [8] A fourth album, Smitten , was released on 20 September 2024. [9]

Artistry

Influences

Much of the music Heather Baron-Gracie has written has been inspired by musicians from the 1980s, including The Cure, Prince, and Madonna. [10] When discussing Pale Waves's second album Who Am I?, Baron-Gracie further cited Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, Courtney Love, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, The Chicks, and Kacey Musgraves as inspiration. [11] [12] In terms of specific albums, Baron-Gracie has also cited The Cure's Disintegration (1989), Paramore's All We know Is Falling (2005) and Riot! (2007), Lucy Rose's Like I Used To (2012), Daughter's If You Leave (2013), and Muna's About U (2017) as inspiring both her and Pale Waves's musical style. [13]

In an interview with The Irish Times , Baron-Gracie cited Dolores O'Riordan as her main vocal influence, saying: "I love The Cranberries. They were amazing. I definitely looked up to Dolores O'Riordan. She has one of my favourite voices of all time. She gave off that attitude – she was totally herself. I loved her fashion sense, she was such a cool person". [14]

Musical equipment

Baron-Gracie is known for playing Vox Phantoms. She received her first of these guitars as a birthday present from Matty Healy of the 1975. However, due to the guitar's size, Baron-Gracie struggled to play it during live shows, telling Magnet magazine: "It sounded amazing, it played amazing, but it was a 12-string, and it was difficult to play live. I'm a tiny person and this guitar was just as big as me. It kept falling down." Jaime Oborne, the head of the record label Dirty Hit, subsequently reached out to a guitar enthusiast that he knew. This individual built Baron-Gracie a custom black Vox Phantom six-string that she could use during live performances. [15]

Visual style

Heather Baron-Gracie, performing with Pale Waves in 2018 Pale Waves 12 06 2018 -6 (31483558177).jpg
Heather Baron-Gracie, performing with Pale Waves in 2018

Baron-Gracie's visual aesthetic and fashion sense has often been described as "gothic". [16] [17] [18] [19] In an interview with the Evening Standard , Baron-Gracie explained: "I've always been into dark fashion, the gothic side of things and vampires ... I like funeral clothes more than summer clothes. It comes from feeling like an outsider." [20] The juxtaposition between Pale Waves's "high-fidelity pop exuberance" and Baron-Gracie's "obsidian gothic aesthetics" [21] has engendered critical discussion: Owen Tanner of the Milwaukee Record described her look as "Taylor Swift going as Beetlejuice for Halloween" [22] and Jessie Atkinson of Gigwise called it "Avril Lavigne Gothicism". [23]

Baron-Gracie's aesthetic has often led many to assume she performs in a metal, metalcore, or screamo band—an assumption that Baron-Gracie has deemed "one of the biggest misconceptions" about Pale Waves. [21] [24] The contrast between Baron-Gracie's visual style and the style of her band has occasionally resulted in accusations of "goth-baiting" [24] —"on the first album," she told Nylon , "we received so much shit for basically ... wearing eye shadow and then playing essentially like pop music" [21] —but Baron-Gracie has rebuffed these criticisms many times: In the aforementioned Nylon interview, she emphasized, "I don't have to wear anything to play the kind of music that I want to play", and in an interview with Magnet , Baron-Gracie further stressed, "If I want to look like a moody vampire, let me!" [24]

Personal life

Baron-Gracie is an open member of the LGBTQ+ community, and in an interview with Vanity Fair , she exclaimed: "Too many people think I'm straight ... I'm not straight ... I've always been gay. When I came out of the womb I knew I was gay." [25] Baron-Gracie is in a relationship with singer and songwriter Kelsi Luck, who served as Baron-Gracie's "muse" when she was writing the lyrics and themes for the Pale Waves album Who Am I? [25] [26] With Baron-Gracie, Luck co-directed the video for Pale Waves' single "You Don't Own Me", and the two starred together in the video for the song "She's My Religion". [27] [28]

In an interview with Ladygunn magazine, Baron-Gracie said that she is "not really religious"; in a later Line of Best Fit interview, however, she did note that she has "become a lot more spiritual" as she has gotten older. [29] [30] Part of this shift was the result of Baron-Gracie having read the work of Alain de Botton. [31] When discussing the use of religious visuals in the music video for "She's My Religion," she explained that the aesthetic was "basically a rebellion against religious and even non-religious people who disregard same-sex relationships". [32]

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pale Waves</span> English rock band

Pale Waves are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood soon joined and completed the lineup. The band's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop; their second and third albums, however, owe more to the pop-punk genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Television Romance</span> Song by Pale Waves

"Television Romance" is a song by the English indie pop band Pale Waves, released on 16 August 2017 to promote their debut album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). The song, written by Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran and produced by Matty Healy and George Daniel of the 1975, was inspired by an incident in which Baron-Gracie had to bluntly rebuff a hopeful suitor who was oblivious to her disinterest. The band also released a video for the song; directed by Healy and Samuel Burgess-Johnson, it features the band performing the song in a Manchester flat.

<i>All the Things I Never Said</i> (Pale Waves EP) EP by Pale Waves

All the Things I Never Said is the debut extended play (EP) by English indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released on 20 February 2018 by Dirty Hit. All the Things I Never Said includes reworked versions of the band's early demos, "The Tide" and "Heavenly", alongside the newer songs, "New Year's Eve" and "My Obsession".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">There's a Honey</span> 2017 single by Pale Waves

"There's a Honey" is the debut single by English indie pop band Pale Waves. The track was released through Dirty Hit on 20 February 2017 as the lead single for their debut studio album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). Written by Pale Waves members Heather Baron-Gracie and Ciara Doran, the track's production was handled by the 1975 band members, Matty Healy and George Daniel. Lyrically, the song discusses insecurities and doubt in a romantic relationship. A music video for "There's a Honey", directed by Silent Tapes, was released on 11 April 2017. The video is performance based and took visual inspiration from the American sculptor Daniel Wurtzel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiss (Pale Waves song)</span> 2018 single by Pale Waves

"Kiss" is a song by English indie pop band Pale Waves from their debut studio album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). It was released as the album's third single on 15 May 2018 by Dirty Hit.

<i>My Mind Makes Noises</i> Album by Pale Waves

My Mind Makes Noises is the debut studio album by English indie pop band Pale Waves, released on 14 September 2018 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. With the exception of the album's singles "There's a Honey" and "Television Romance", the songs on My Mind Makes Noises were produced by Jonathan Gilmore, with Pale Waves' drummer, Ciara Doran, providing additional production. The 1975's George Daniel and Matty Healy produced "Television Romance" and There's a Honey".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eighteen (Pale Waves song)</span> 2018 single by Pale Waves

"Eighteen" is a song by English indie pop band Pale Waves from their debut studio album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). It was released as the album's fifth single on 24 July 2018 by Dirty Hit.

<i>Who Am I?</i> (Pale Waves album) Album by Pale Waves

Who Am I? is the second studio album by English indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released on 12 February 2021 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. The record was produced by Rich Costey and recorded in Los Angeles. While the band's previous album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018), took inspiration from 1980s synth pop, Who Am I? was inspired by female pop and rock musicians from the 1990s and early 2000s, including acts like Avril Lavigne, Liz Phair, Michelle Branch, Alanis Morissette, and Courtney Love.

"She's My Religion" is a song by indie pop band Pale Waves. It was released 15 December 2020 as the second single from the group's second studio album, Who Am I?

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Change (Pale Waves song)</span> 2020 single by Pale Waves

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Don't Own Me (Pale Waves song)</span> 2021 single by Pale Waves

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">PMA (song)</span> Song by All Time Low and Pale Waves

"PMA" is a song by the American rock band All Time Low featuring Heather Baron-Gracie from the British band Pale Waves.

<i>Unwanted</i> (album) 2022 album by Pale Waves

Unwanted is the third studio album by English rock band Pale Waves. It was released on 12 August 2022 by the independent record label Dirty Hit. The record was produced by Zakk Cervini and recorded in Los Angeles. Production for the record began roughly half a year after Pale Waves released their second album, Who Am I? (2021), with the quick turnaround due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented the band from touring. Indebted to the pop-punk genre, Unwanted was intended to be heavier and more aggressive than the band's previous work.

"Jealousy" is a pop-punk song by the English band Pale Waves, released on 27 June 2022 as the third single from the album Unwanted (2022). The song was written by Pale Waves's frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie and the singer-songwriter Whakaio Taahi. A music video for the song, directed by the visual artist Vasilisa Forbes was also released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noises (song)</span> 2018 single by Pale Waves

"Noises" is a song by English indie pop band Pale Waves from their debut studio album, My Mind Makes Noises (2018). It was released as the album's fourth single on 28 June 2018 by Dirty Hit.

<i>Smitten</i> (Pale Waves album) 2024 studio album by Pale Waves

Smitten is the fourth studio album by English rock band Pale Waves. It was released on 27 September 2024, via the independent record label Dirty Hit.

References

  1. ↑ Stubbs, Dan (20 October 2017). "The 1975 and Pale Waves: Matty Healy introduces your favourite new pop band". NME . Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 Smyth, David (2 March 2018). "Pale Waves talk stardom, touring with the 1975 and rocking the goth look". Evening Standard . Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  3. ↑ Youngs, Ian (8 January 2018). "BBC Sound of 2018: Pale Waves interview". Billboard . Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  4. ↑ Turner, Cerys (18 January 2021). "Pale Waves' Heather Baron-Gracie chats growing up and falling in love for new album Who Am I?". The Boar. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  5. ↑ North, Danny (15 May 2019). "Pale Waves talks about their friendship and life as "gothy" role models". Newsweek . Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Making Waves With Heather Baron-Gracie". The Music . 5 July 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  7. ↑ Hemmings, Jeff (11 January 2019). "Pale Waves – Interview 2019". Brightons on Fire. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
  8. ↑ Thomas, Fred. "Pale Waves | Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  9. ↑ Hardman, Neville (12 June 2024). "Pale Waves announce new album Smitten". Alternative Press . Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  10. ↑ Scott, Jason (6 December 2017). "Pale Waves on Upcoming Debut EP 'New Year's Eve' & Being a Band That's 'Actually Becoming Something'". Billboard . Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  11. ↑ Smith, Thomas (20 November 2020). "Pale Waves: "I've been hiding who I am for so long now. I don't wanna do that any more"". NME. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  12. ↑ Maldonado, Mar (20 February 2021). "Pale Waves' New Album, Who Am I?, Will Have You In Self Reflection". The Honey Pop. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  13. ↑ RIML_TV (4 June 2018). "Pale Waves on Records In My Life (2018 interview)". Records in my Life. Retrieved 9 January 2022– via YouTube.
  14. ↑ Power, Ed (17 September 2018). "'I looked up to Dolores O'Riordan. She gave off that attitude – she was totally herself'". The Irish Times . Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Fagerstrom, Bruce (15 February 2021). "A Conversation With Heather Baron-Gracie (Pale Waves)". Magnet . Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  16. ↑ Kochhar, Nazuk (24 May 2018). "How to stay goth in the summer". The Fader . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Kucharski, Eve (19 February 2021). "Pale Waves Frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie Is the Gay Goth Role Model the Community Needs". Pride Source . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  18. ↑ ""This is only the start!" An interview with Pale Waves' Heather Baron Gracie". Exeposé . 6 December 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2022. You've cultivated this amazing Gothic aesthetic. What does the term 'goth' mean to you?
  19. ↑ Manno, Lizzie (6 September 2018). "Love Them or Hate Them, Pale Waves Are Unstoppable". Paste Magazine . Retrieved 10 January 2022. Pale Waves['] frontwoman and goth goddess [is] Heather Baron-Gracie.
  20. ↑ Hodgkinson, Will (3 April 2018). "Dark but delicious — Pale Waves, the goth group with a sweet centre". Evening Standard . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  21. 1 2 3 Wang, Steffanee (2021). "Pale Waves' Heather Baron-Gracie Is Ready To Let You In". Nylon . Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  22. ↑ Tanner, Owen (24 November 2018). "Pale Waves go goth at Black Friday show at The Rave". Milwaukee Record. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  23. ↑ Atkinson, Jessie (14 January 2021). "Pale Waves continue the Goth Avril Lavigne vibe on 'Easy'". Gigwise . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  24. 1 2 3 Fegerstrom, Bruce (15 February 2021). "A Conversation With Heather Baron-Gracie (Pale Waves)". Magnet Magazine. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  25. 1 2 Landsbaum, Claire (12 February 2021). "Pale Waves' Heather Baron-Gracie Is Music's Reigning Queer Emo Queen". Vanity Fair . Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  26. ↑ Balmont, James (5 February 2021). "Girl to the Front: Pale Waves". DIY . Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  27. ↑ Pale Waves (1 March 2021). "Pale Waves – You Don't Own Me" . Retrieved 12 August 2021– via YouTube.
  28. ↑ Pale Waves (22 December 2020). "Pale Waves – She's My Religion" . Retrieved 12 August 2021– via YouTube.
  29. ↑ Johnson, Ashley Simone (12 February 2021). "Heather Baron-Gracie Is the Odd One Out". Ladygunn. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  30. ↑ Williams, Pip (23 February 2021). "A Different Kind of Love". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  31. ↑ Lanham, Tom (17 February 2021). "Pale Waves Back with 'Who Am I?'". San Francisco Examiner . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  32. ↑ Roach, Michaela (8 January 2021). "'Who Am I?': An Interview with Heather Baron-Gracie". Brig Newspaper . Retrieved 18 January 2024.
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