Pale Waves Return With "Lies," Announce New Album 'Unwanted'
Photo: Katia Temkin
U.K. indie rock band Pale Waves tackle betrayal and heartbreak with the release of their latest single, “Lies.” The track, which is set to appear on their upcoming album Unwanted, is a powerful guitar-fueled work that examines the aftermath of a relationship gone awry due to lies and deceit.
“Lies” is an angst-fueled, rebellious pop-punk anthem that explores getting over someone who has shattered your trust and having their lies catch up with them after the damage has been done. The track explosively opens with frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie singing, “You called it love but it never had a feeling / Ripped out my heart and left it bleeding,” atop crunchy guitars and the rhythmic drive of early 2000s rock combined with the rage of '90s rock and punk.
Tackling shattered trust and lies catching up with a toxic partner, the nostalgic, pop-punk stunner harnesses angst to empower catharsis. “‘Lies’ is about someone who built up my trust and destroyed it like a wrecking ball,” says Baron-Gracie on the inspiration for the track. “It caused trust issues for myself, but fortunately for me, that person is no longer in my life. Once you do me wrong, you’re gone!”
The music video, directed by Vasilisa Forbes, is a simple yet engaging visual featuring dramatic vignettes and highly stylized shots of the band. The video opens with a blue-lit shot of Pale Waves performing together before oscillating between solo scenes of Baron-Gracie singing to the camera. While bathed in bold, colorful lighting and heart-shaped spotlights, she sings the biting lyrics with a radical sense of honesty and vulnerability, only adding to the underlying intensity of the entire affair.
“Lies” is the lead track for the band’s next album, Unwanted, set to release on August 12. The body of work is informed by Pale Waves’ personal and artistic journey that reaches out into the band's passionate community of misfits and LGBTQIA+ fans, tapping into darker emotions than ever before while also striking a fresh tone of defiance. “It was really the only thing this album could be called,” continues Heather. “It’s bold and unapologetic, and that’s what the Pale Waves community is about. We don’t need to fit a perfect mold, we don’t need to apologize for being ourselves, and we won’t change for anyone. That acceptance is what connects us.”
Kicking off this June, Pale Waves will set off on a select run of U.S. headlining shows before embarking as main support for 5 Seconds of Summer’s nationwide U.S. amphitheater tour this summer, taking the stage at Riot Fest, and performing at a string of international festivals.
Unwanted Tracklist:
"Lies"
"Unwanted"
"The Hard Way"
"Jealousy"
"Alone"
"Clean"
"Without You"
"Only Problem"
"You’re So Vain"
"Reasons To Live"
"Numb"
"Act My Age"
"So Sick (Of Missing You)"
2022 TOUR DATES:
May 29 - Neighbourhood Weekender - London, UK
June 11 - Thunderbird Area - Vancouver, Canada *
June 12 - WaMu - Seattle, WA *
June 14 - Concord Pavilion - Concord, CA *
June 16 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA *
June 17 - Hollywood Palladium - Los Angeles, CA *
June 18 - Fivepoint - Irvine, CA *
June 19 - 24 Oxford - Las Vegas, NV
June 20 - Federal Theater - Phoenix, AZ *
June 22 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, CO *
June 24 - Moody Amphitheater - Austin, TX *
June 25 - Music Factory - Irving, TX *
June 26 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - The Woodlands, TX * June 27 - Beer City Music Hall - Oklahoma City, OK
June 28 - Walmart AMP - Rogers, AR *
June 30 - Ascend Amphitheater - Nashville, TN *
July 01 - Cadence Bank Amphitheater - Atlanta, GA * July 02 - Motorco Music Hall - Durham, NC
July 03 - Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre - Charlotte, NC * July 05 - The Anthem - Washington, D.C. *
July 06 - The Skyline Stage - Philadelphia, PA *
July 08 - Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT *
July 09 - Leader Bank Pavilion - Boston, MA *
July 10 - PMC Bank Arts Pavilion - Holmdel, NJ *
July 12 - Pier 17 - New York City, NY *
July 13 - Pier 17 - New York City, NY *
July 16 - Community Festival - London, UK
July 18 - Andrew Brady Music Center - Cincinnati, OH *
July 20 - Budweiser Stage - Toronto, Canada *
July 21 - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre - Sterling Heights, MI * July 22 - The Rave/Eagles Club - Milwaukee, WI
July 23 - The Armory - Minneapolis, MN *
July 24 - Saint Louis Music Park - Maryland Heights, MO * July 29 - Y-Not Festival - Pikehall, Derbyshire, UK
July 30 - Kendal Calling Festival - Lowther Deer Park, UK
August 13 - Boardmasters Festival - Cornwall, UK
August 26 - Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK
August 28 - Reading Festival - Reading, U.K.
September 16 - Riot Fest - Chicago, IL
October 31 - Bigcat - Osaka, Japan
November 1 - Quattro - Nagoya, Japan
November 2 - Ebisu Garden Hall - Tokyo, Japan
November 3 - Bayhall - Yokohama, Japan
November 25 - Albert Hall - Manchester, U.K.
November 26 - O2 Academy - Liverpool, UK
November 27 - Beach Ballroom - Abderdeen, UK
November 28 - Barrowland Ballroom - Glasgow, UK
November 30 - O2 Brixton Academy - London, UK
* As main support for 5 Seconds of Summer
