We speak with Pale Waves about influences and their mature new album, Smitten

The new album is out this week - a really, really good album. What were the influences behind it? 

I guess it's all about Heather's queer relationships really, and her past romantic experiences. It's hard for me to comment on because obviously I didn't write the lyrics! But yeah, I think that's mainly what it's about. 

The style of the album, musically, feels very different to the previous records. Was that intended?

Yeah it's a bit more like the first album - we liked going back to our roots. 

The drums in particular on the album are really good, like on Glasgow for example. Did you feel like in some of the songs you had to kind of move yourself back instead to play with the song? 

Yeah with drums, you just kind of do what feels right. So what goes with the vocals, what doesn't get in the way and what seems musically right for the part, you know. 

So on the new album, what was your favourite song to drum to?

Probably Last Train Home. That one was quite fun.

And who was your biggest influence in drumming?

I really liked Neil Peart, I thought he was cool. There's also a drummer called Tony Royster Jr, he was awesome. Then obviously Travis Barker; I remember seeing his reality TV show and watching that, thinking he was really cool. 

But I was always just drawn to drums and music in general, so I don't know really. I just liked it a lot from a very, very young age and always knew that that's what I wanted to do.

You did start the band when you were quite young. What advice do you have for young people making music?

I would just say don't look at what others are doing, or try to replicate or copy what someone else is doing; because it's never going to be as good as what they're doing because it's not coming from within.

Always do what you think is cool and always go back to your own brain as a source of creativity - it's always going to work best.

Moving onto live shows then, you've got the new tour coming up - Nottingham, Sheffield and then a bunch more across the UK. Are you excited to be able to play these new songs to people? 

Yeah, I'm really excited. Doing a headline tour is always the most fun part of being in a band. We're also headlining Neighbourhood Festival, which is in Manchester, so that's quite an honour to do that in our hometown.

You've had a massive festival season, been on the TV a couple of times too. What was your favourite festival to play? 

Reading and Leeds is always a good one, but probably Glastonbury because of the history behind it. 

And what's been the best gig you've ever done with Pale Waves? 

My favourite was probably Victoria Warehouse in Manchester - that was a really cool hometown show. 

What about if you could support any band in the world, dead or alive. Which band would you want to support? 

Well we already did support The Cure… so maybe Arcade Fire or Kings of Leon. I love those bands. 

What was it like to support The Cure?!

It was incredible! It was like one of my biggest goals being achieved. Knowing that Robert Smith wanted us on that lineup was really insane to me. I still can't get over it!

Did you get to go for drinks after with them?

No, annoyingly we had to go and headline this other festival all the way up the other end of the country. So we left right after we played, which was the worst thing ever for me because Robert Smith is such a huge influence in my life. Maybe one day I'll meet him, but it wasn't that day… annoyingly!

And finally, you have the album and the UK tour - are there any big plans for 2025?

We want to have a good festival season next year, probably tour more in the UK too. Hopefully do a US tour too!

Smitten is out this Friday, 27th September 2024. You can also catch Pale Waves at Rough Trade Nottingham on Saturday, 28th September, and at Rock City on 6th October 2024.

@palewaves