“It’s a lot more stripped back”: Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie on their upcoming ‘Still Smitten Tour’

Pale Waves released their fourth studio album, Smitten, almost a year ago, and last October embarked on a corresponding ‘Smitten Tour’ to intimately share the record with their fans. Breaking away from tradition, however, the English rock band have decided to venture towards the beaten path this October as they continue to celebrate this record on their ‘Still Smitten Tour’. 
 
In a conversation with Heather Baron-Gracie, the lead singer and guitarist of Pale Waves, they confessed that they wanted to pursue this decision “honestly because it felt like we didn’t play enough shows.” The ‘Smitten Tour’ in 2024 left Pale Waves only visiting 12 cities, and considering there was “so much effort put in writing and recording” for an album which took “2 years” to craft, it seems only reasonable to spotlight this romantic record for at least a few more shows. 
 
This tour, in comparison to the former, goes beyond hitting some of the old favourites, such as Norwich, Manchester, and Brighton, to explore often overlooked areas – including Oxford, Stoke, and Wrexham – and includes some bigger cities that were previously missed, such as Cardiff and Dublin. The rationale for this? Pale Waves can’t wait to “make someone’s day by being 10 minutes away.”  

Baron-Gracie let us know that they are definitely “gonna switch it up”

It’s unassuming that the band is planning to “play most of the singles” from Smitten –‘Perfume’, ‘Glasgow’, ‘Gravity’, and ‘Thinking About You’ – but Baron-Gracie let us know that they are definitely “gonna switch it up.” One way they plan to do this is by “bringing back some relics” from their debut EP, All the Things I Never Said, such as ‘My Obsession’, ‘The Tide’, and ‘Heavenly’. As they plan to play songs spanning their entire discography, it’s no surprise that they can’t wait to go on tour, mentioning that they expect the tour to be “fun for us” and that they anticipate “having fun with our audience.” 
 
For anyone who experienced Pale Waves on their previous ‘Smitten Tour’, Baron-Gracie assures us that the ‘Still Smitten Tour’ is “totally” suited for us: “This tour … it’s a lot more stripped back. We’re definitely switching it up enough. It’s going to be even more intimate.” We might even get lucky enough to hear some new music, which Pale Waves teased with an Instagram caption back in July, although they “haven’t decided” as they aren’t yet confident “if any of them are right.” Hopefully, Pale Waves decides to “play something unreleased for fun.”
 
If it’s new music you’re after, you’d still be at the right place at the “Still Smitten Tour”, as Pale Waves are being supported by alternative-pop artist EMMMA, who recently released a new single titled ‘Whiplash’, and is releasing their sophomore EP, Wednesday’s Child, during the tour. 

This tour is another invite from Pale Waves to join them while they are “still in the Smitten world”

I’m sure you’re already enticed, but if you need to listen to some more Pale Waves before you commit to buying the ticket, why not take Heather Baron-Gracie’s recommendations! Two of her favourites to start with would be ‘Last Train Home’ and ‘Miss America’ as Baron-Gracie spent the “longest writing them.” The subject matter for these tracks, being “very personal to myself and my experience – more so than any of the others”, results in her having a “soft spot for those two songs.”
 
‘Not A Love Song’ was also spotlighted as a favourite. The song was initially written acoustically, but Baron-Gracie found “every time we finished it with a producer, it was never in the form I imagined it”, which led to it being “rewrote so many times” with “so many choruses.” She felt like she put “everything into it”, which allows her – and us all – to “appreciate it even more.” 
 
Ultimately, this tour is another invitation from Pale Waves to join them while they are “still in the Smitten world.” Get your tickets here, and listen here: