Pale Waves announce second album ‘Who Am I?’ and share nostalgic first single ‘Change’
Pale Waves have announced their second album ‘Who Am I?’ – listen to lead single ‘Change’ below.
The Manchester band will release the follow-up to 2018’s ‘My Mind Makes Noises’ on February 12, 2021 via Dirty Hit.
After teasing their return on social media, Pale Waves’ comeback track ‘Change’ – described as “a true heartbreaker” – was premiered on BBC Radio 1 tonight (November 10) as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record In The World.
It will appear on the 11-song ‘Who Am I?’ alongside the previously performed ‘She’s My Religion’ as well as ‘Tomorrow’, which was previewed by the band during their 2019 headline tour. Other song titles include ‘You Don’t Own Me’, ‘Odd Ones Out’ and ‘Wish U Were Here’.
The full tracklist is as follows:
- ‘Change’
- ‘Fall To Pieces’
- ‘She’s My Religion’
- ‘Easy’
- ‘Wish U Were Here’
- ‘Tomorrow’
- ‘You Don’t Own Me’
- ‘I Just Needed You’
- ‘Odd Ones Out’
- ‘Run To’
- ‘Who Am I?’
The forthcoming full-length was recorded primarily in Los Angeles alongside producer Rich Costey (who’s previously worked with Muse, Foo Fighters and Sigur Rós) before the coronavirus crisis forced the studio sessions online.
According to a press release, ‘Who Am I?’ “acts as the Pale Waves manifesto – inspiring inclusivity, self-discovery, and the notion of being whoever the hell you want to be”. Its lyrics draw on frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie’s own experiences of depression, distraction, and feelings of darkness.
“For me, music and art is for people not to feel so alone and isolated,” Baron-Gracie explained. “I want to be that person my fans look up to and find comfort in.”
Pale Waves previously told NME that their new material would go down a “pop-punk” route, with one track said to resemble Taylor Swift.
“It’s a big chorus,” Baron-Gracie told NME last summer. “I’m excited to take it into the studio. It’s probably the best-sounding demo that we have as well. I mean, it could be a Taylor Swift song probably – the chorus.”