Curtis chats to Pale Waves lead singer about new album 'Who Am I?'
Recording an album during a pandemic isn't easy!
Cool Afternoon's Curtis McCosh recently caught up with indie rock band Pale Waves' lead signer Heather Baron-Gracie. They discussed everything from endless zoom chats to their upcoming gig in Belfast's Limelight.
The Manchester band released their follow-up to 2018’s ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ earlier this month. Their new album was recorded alongside producer Rich Costey, who previously worked with bands such as Muse and the Foo Fighters.
"The writing process was all pre-pandemic, before the world went into absolute meltdown, so that was actually a really enjoyable experience," reminisces Heather. "It was probably the best part of this whole campaign for me. The recording process was difficult, we recorded the album in two parts in LA. The first half the whole band was there, this was all pre-pandemic, and then the second half was when the pandemic was sort of becoming apparent, just how bad it was and the lockdowns went into place."
"So basically half of the band flew back home to England, they didn't want to get stuck in LA, so the majority of the time it was me and our producer in masks and gloves basically finishing the record. Ciara would come in now and again and put the drum parts down, then disappear. It was a really sterile and weird environment."
When asked how big a part Zoom calls were throughout the process, Heather shares: "The boys would record some of their parts in their bedrooms, in England. Thankfully due to technology, we were able to take those parts and put them on the record, which is pretty insane."
The band recently announced their headline Belfast show at Limelight on Saturday, February 19th 2022. Originally scheduled for Limelight 2, tickets sold out in record time so the band have been upgraded now to Limelight 1. "I love Belfast, and I love the people, the crowds are so much fun," teases Heather. "They're literally up for anything, they probably come with a drink in their hands, ready to have a good time and I love that, I can't wait to go back."
Tickets are available for their upcoming gig - Sat 19th Feb 2022. Visit ticketmaster.co.uk for more info.
Check out Pale Waves latest single Changes from their new album Who Am I?
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