Pale Wav Frontwoman Heather Baron-Gracie Is the Gay Goth Role Mol the Communy Needs

PALE WAV’ HEATHER BARON-GRACIE IS MIC’S REIGNG QUEER EMO QUEENIN MANY WAYS, THE BAND’S SEND ALBUM, WHO AM I?, IS A LOVE LETTER TO BARON-GRACIE’S GIRLIEND—WHO SHE PLANNED TO MARRY VEGAS LAST MARCH. THE OPENNS IS NEW, BUT THE SENTIMENT ISN’T. “WHEN I ME OUT OF THE WOMB I KNEW I WAS GAY,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS.BY CLAIRE LANDSBMFEBARY 12, 2021BY JORDAN CURTIS-HUGH.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEHEATHER BARON-GRACIE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ASTROLOGY. “I JT KNOW I’M A CAPRIRN,” THE 26-YEAR-OLD LEAD SGER OF U.K.-BASED BAND PALE WAV TELLS ME. “MY FANS MA ME A BIRTH CHART BEE THEY KNEW I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF STAR SIGNS.”FROM THE OUTSI LOOKG , THOUGH, THE SMOS WAS ALMOST UNIQUELY ALIGNED AGAST THE CREATN OF PALE WAV’ SEND STUD ALBUM, WHO AM I?, OUT THIS FRIDAY. LAST FEBARY, A TOUR-B CRASH VOLVG THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE PALE WAV QUARTET—CIARA DORAN, HUGO SILVANI, AND CHARLIE WOODS—SILED THE BAND FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THEN THE PANMIC CUT THEIR L.A. RERDG SSNS SHORT; HALF THE BAND FLEW HOME, AAID OF GETTG STUCK STATI, AND HALF REMAED CALIFORNIA, NECSATG A FRANKENSTEG OF RERDGS MA ON DIFFERENT NTENTS. AND OF URSE, THE PANMIC H S STRI L.A. AS BARON-GRACIE WAS FALIZG THE ALBUM LAST SPRG. “IT WAS JT ME AND A PRODUCER MASKS AND GLOV,” SHE SAYS. “I MALY STAYED THE VOL BOOTH. WE WERE WASHG OUR HANDS EVERY SEND.” ULTIMATELY, THOUGH, HER EARTH SIGN NATURE PREVAILED. “I REMEMBER MY MANAGER RGG ME UP AND BEG LIKE, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” SHE SAYS. “AND I WAS LIKE, THERE’S NO OPTN HERE. I’M GOG TO THE STUD, AND I’M GOG TO FISH .”WHO AM I? IS A HARR SOUND FOR PALE WAV—GNGIER, WH A POP-PUNK SENSIBILY AND VISUALS THAT WOULD BE AT HOME A TIM BURTON FILM. THE TULAR “WHO AM I?” IS A TE BALLAD, BUT THE RT OF THE ALBUM—A NOSTALGIC MISHMASH OF AVRIL LAVIGNE AND HAYLEY WILLIAMS WH SOME BRAND NEW MELANCHOLIA THROWN —STAYS UPBEAT. “CHANGE,” THE OPENG SONG, IS PALE WAV’ TYPIL MIX OF LIGHT AND DARK: A CHEERY MELODY PAIRED WH LYRICS SPAIRG OF A DYSFUNCTNAL RELATNSHIP. “YOU DON’T OWN ME” IS A GIANT “FUCK YOU” TO THE PATRIARCHY, BUT A TEMPO THAT V YOU TO JUMP AROUND YOUR BEDROOM SGG TO A HAIRBSH. “SHE’S MY RELIGN” IS A LOVE SONG WH A TWIST; THE MIC VIO, SET ON A MISTY WDG ROAD, A SERTED MEADOW, AND A DIMLY L UNTRY HOE, SCREAMS ROMANTIC TRAGEDY, WHILE THE ACPANYG WORDS SPEAK OF LOVG SOMEONE SPE THEIR FLAWS. FOR BARON-GRACIE, THIS TYPE OF BATN IS LIBERATE. “THE STMENTATN IS QUE UPLIFTG AND POSIVE AND PHORIC, AND THE SONGWRG TENDS TO BE DARKER,” SHE EXPLAS. “I TRY TO BALANCE …. I’M A CRIER—I’LL LERALLY CRY AT ANYTHG ON TV. I LOVE THOSE KDS OF SONGS. BUT I DON’T WANT A FULL RERD OF PEOPLE CRYG.”STILL, PARTS OF THE ALBUM ARE TEAR-JERKG. “SHE’S MY RELIGN,” THE QUEER EMO ANTHEM OF MY TEENAGE DREAMS, IS SHOT THROUGH WH EMOTN, A MIL LOVE LETTER TO BARON-GRACIE’S GIRLIEND, KELSI LUCK. (FOR THE RERD, LUCK IS A PISC.) LUCK’S STARRG ROLE THE SONG’S MIC VIO IS HER MOST OBV NTRIBUTN, BUT BARON-GRACIE TELLS ME THAT LUCK’S FGERPRTS ARE ALL OVER THE ALBUM. SHE HAD “FALLEN A B OUT OF LOVE WH MIC,” UNTIL LUCK “HAD ARTISTIC, CREATIVE NVERSATNS WH ME THAT MA ME BEE A BETTER WRER.” PART OF THIS, SHE SAYS, WAS A POETRY BGE—LUCK HAD HER READ “POEMS THAT HAD REALLY MEANT SOMETHG TO HER. ‘YOU DON’T OWN ME’ WAS SPIRED BY A POEM SHE WROTE ABOUT WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A WOMAN THE WORLD. AND ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’ WAS A POEM SHE WROTE ABOUT ME THAT I SECRETLY RERD ON MY PHONE. SHE HAD NO IA. I WAS LIKE, ‘CAN YOU JT READ ME THAT POEM AGA?’… LATER ON SHE DISVERED THAT I’D PUT A SONG AND AT FIRST SHE WAS LIKE, ‘TAKE OUT. I DON’T WANT THERE.’” “SHE’S VERY MUCH A GIRL WHO WANTS TO BE BEHD THE MERA AND NOT ONT OF , AND THAT’S WHY OUR RELATNSHIP WORKS SO WELL,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS. “WE’LL CREATE THIS WHOLE WORLD, AND THEN I GO AND PERFORM . IT’S THE PERFECT RELATNSHIP FOR ME…. I WOULDN’T HAVE THIS RERD IF WASN’T FOR KELSI.” MOST POPULARTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLERRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTH“DOPEY AND CONSTUTNALLY DUB”: LEGAL EXPERTS BLAST JUDGE AILEEN CANNON’S LATT PRO-TMP RULGSBY BS LEVIN FACT, THE TWO TEND TO TIE THE KNOT LAST MARCH—YET ANOTHER PLAN RAILED BY THE PANMIC. “WE WERE GOG TO GET MARRIED VEGAS,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS. “I WANTED A TRASHY WEDDG, AND I’M ANNOYED THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN.” THE MOMENT FOR VEGAS “HAS PASSED,” SHE SAYS, BUT THEY’LL FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO GET HCHED DOWN THE LE. “YOU KNOW HOW GAY RELATNSHIPS GO; YOU MEET THAT PERSON AND YOU’RE LIKE, ‘LET’S MOVE TOGETHER,’” SHE JOK. BUT SHE FEELS ROCK-SOLID LUCK: “WHEN YOU TABLISH THAT MUTUAL RPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER, IS REALLY BETIFUL.” THIS TYPE OF OPENNS, BOTH TERVIEWS AND HER SONGWRG, IS RELATIVELY NEW FOR BARON-GRACIE. THOUGH SHE’S BEEN OUT FOR YEARS—“Y I’M GAY” SHE TWEETED NOVEMBER 2018, A LIGHTFULLY NONCHALANT MOVE RIVALED ONLY BY KRISTEN STEWART’S “I’M, LIKE, SO GAY, DU” ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE—THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE’S BEEN LIBERATELY VOL ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF HER INTY. “WHEN I WROTE THE FIRST PALE WAV ALBUM [MY MD MAK NOIS, RELEASED 2018,] I FELT VERY YOUNG,” SHE SAYS TO EXPLA THE SHIFT. “I WAS AWARE OF MY SEXUALY, BUT I HADN’T YET OWNED . I HAD A LOT MORE TO EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE. I DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO WRE ABOUT.” IN THE TERIM, SHE’S BEE MORE FORTABLE HER OWN SK. “TOO MANY PEOPLE THK I’M STRAIGHT AND I’M LIKE, REALLY? MOST ARE MEN. [I’M LIKE,] I’M NOT STRAIGHT; I A’T GOG TO GET WH YOU…. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN GAY. WHEN I ME OUT OF THE WOMB I KNEW I WAS GAY.” ARRIVG AT THIS POT, OTHER WORDS, HAS BEEN A PROCS. AND LIKE MANY ARTISTS, BARON-GRACIE CREDS THE COVID-DUCED LULL PALE WAV’ TOURG SCHLE WH GIVG HER TIME TO DO THE KD OF PERSONAL WORK THAT’S ALLOWED HER SONGWRG TO PROGRS. “WHEN YOU GET TO THAT LIFTYLE OF TOURG, ’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S NOT REAL LIFE. YOU’RE PTURED BY . AND I THK THAT STUNTED MY MATURY AND MY PERSPECTIVE.” PALE WAV HAS ANNOUNCED A TOUR OF THE U.K. AND IRELAND 2022, BUT BARON-GRACIE DIT SHE’LL STAY FOCED WARD UNTIL THEN, LIKELY ON A THIRD STUD ALBUM. AND WHEN SHE RETURNS TO THE ROAD, SHE’LL HAVE FIRMER BOUNDARI PLACE. “I’VE BEE A LOT MORE STUBBORN TERMS OF LETTG PEOPLE KNOW WHEN I NEED A BREAK,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET BOUNDARI AND SAY, I NEED TIME TO GO OFF AND JT BREATHE. AND THEN I’LL E BACK TO THE CHAOS.” MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— COVER STORY: THE CHARMG BILLIE EILISH— KOBE BRYANT’S TRAGIC FLIGHT, ONE YEAR LATER— HOW THE PGA POLISHED OFF DONALD TMP— COULD THE MONARCHY “GO OVER A CLIFF” AFTER QUEEN ELIZABETH DI?— 36 ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR RECREATG INIC BILLIE EILISH NAIL MOMENTS— INSI 2021’S CELEBRY-GOSSIP RENAISSANCE— WHAT WILL MELANIA TMP’S LEGACY BE?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: THE BRANT BROTHERS’ QUT TO CONQUER MANHATTAN— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.CLAIRE LANDSBM
PALE WAV FRONTWOMAN HEATHER BARON-GRACIE IS THE GAY GOTH ROLE MOL THE COMMUNY NEEDS

PALE WAV’ HEATHER BARON-GRACIE IS MIC’S REIGNG QUEER EMO QUEENIN MANY WAYS, THE BAND’S SEND ALBUM, WHO AM I?, IS A LOVE LETTER TO BARON-GRACIE’S GIRLIEND—WHO SHE PLANNED TO MARRY VEGAS LAST MARCH. THE OPENNS IS NEW, BUT THE SENTIMENT ISN’T. “WHEN I ME OUT OF THE WOMB I KNEW I WAS GAY,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS.BY CLAIRE LANDSBMFEBARY 12, 2021BY JORDAN CURTIS-HUGH.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEHEATHER BARON-GRACIE DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT ASTROLOGY. “I JT KNOW I’M A CAPRIRN,” THE 26-YEAR-OLD LEAD SGER OF U.K.-BASED BAND PALE WAV TELLS ME. “MY FANS MA ME A BIRTH CHART BEE THEY KNEW I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF STAR SIGNS.”FROM THE OUTSI LOOKG , THOUGH, THE SMOS WAS ALMOST UNIQUELY ALIGNED AGAST THE CREATN OF PALE WAV’ SEND STUD ALBUM, WHO AM I?, OUT THIS FRIDAY. LAST FEBARY, A TOUR-B CRASH VOLVG THE OTHER THREE MEMBERS OF THE PALE WAV QUARTET—CIARA DORAN, HUGO SILVANI, AND CHARLIE WOODS—SILED THE BAND FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THEN THE PANMIC CUT THEIR L.A. RERDG SSNS SHORT; HALF THE BAND FLEW HOME, AAID OF GETTG STUCK STATI, AND HALF REMAED CALIFORNIA, NECSATG A FRANKENSTEG OF RERDGS MA ON DIFFERENT NTENTS. AND OF URSE, THE PANMIC H S STRI L.A. AS BARON-GRACIE WAS FALIZG THE ALBUM LAST SPRG. “IT WAS JT ME AND A PRODUCER MASKS AND GLOV,” SHE SAYS. “I MALY STAYED THE VOL BOOTH. WE WERE WASHG OUR HANDS EVERY SEND.” ULTIMATELY, THOUGH, HER EARTH SIGN NATURE PREVAILED. “I REMEMBER MY MANAGER RGG ME UP AND BEG LIKE, WHAT SHOULD WE DO?” SHE SAYS. “AND I WAS LIKE, THERE’S NO OPTN HERE. I’M GOG TO THE STUD, AND I’M GOG TO FISH .”WHO AM I? IS A HARR SOUND FOR PALE WAV—GNGIER, WH A POP-PUNK SENSIBILY AND VISUALS THAT WOULD BE AT HOME A TIM BURTON FILM. THE TULAR “WHO AM I?” IS A TE BALLAD, BUT THE RT OF THE ALBUM—A NOSTALGIC MISHMASH OF AVRIL LAVIGNE AND HAYLEY WILLIAMS WH SOME BRAND NEW MELANCHOLIA THROWN —STAYS UPBEAT. “CHANGE,” THE OPENG SONG, IS PALE WAV’ TYPIL MIX OF LIGHT AND DARK: A CHEERY MELODY PAIRED WH LYRICS SPAIRG OF A DYSFUNCTNAL RELATNSHIP. “YOU DON’T OWN ME” IS A GIANT “FUCK YOU” TO THE PATRIARCHY, BUT A TEMPO THAT V YOU TO JUMP AROUND YOUR BEDROOM SGG TO A HAIRBSH. “SHE’S MY RELIGN” IS A LOVE SONG WH A TWIST; THE MIC VIO, SET ON A MISTY WDG ROAD, A SERTED MEADOW, AND A DIMLY L UNTRY HOE, SCREAMS ROMANTIC TRAGEDY, WHILE THE ACPANYG WORDS SPEAK OF LOVG SOMEONE SPE THEIR FLAWS. FOR BARON-GRACIE, THIS TYPE OF BATN IS LIBERATE. “THE STMENTATN IS QUE UPLIFTG AND POSIVE AND PHORIC, AND THE SONGWRG TENDS TO BE DARKER,” SHE EXPLAS. “I TRY TO BALANCE …. I’M A CRIER—I’LL LERALLY CRY AT ANYTHG ON TV. I LOVE THOSE KDS OF SONGS. BUT I DON’T WANT A FULL RERD OF PEOPLE CRYG.”STILL, PARTS OF THE ALBUM ARE TEAR-JERKG. “SHE’S MY RELIGN,” THE QUEER EMO ANTHEM OF MY TEENAGE DREAMS, IS SHOT THROUGH WH EMOTN, A MIL LOVE LETTER TO BARON-GRACIE’S GIRLIEND, KELSI LUCK. (FOR THE RERD, LUCK IS A PISC.) LUCK’S STARRG ROLE THE SONG’S MIC VIO IS HER MOST OBV NTRIBUTN, BUT BARON-GRACIE TELLS ME THAT LUCK’S FGERPRTS ARE ALL OVER THE ALBUM. SHE HAD “FALLEN A B OUT OF LOVE WH MIC,” UNTIL LUCK “HAD ARTISTIC, CREATIVE NVERSATNS WH ME THAT MA ME BEE A BETTER WRER.” PART OF THIS, SHE SAYS, WAS A POETRY BGE—LUCK HAD HER READ “POEMS THAT HAD REALLY MEANT SOMETHG TO HER. ‘YOU DON’T OWN ME’ WAS SPIRED BY A POEM SHE WROTE ABOUT WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE A WOMAN THE WORLD. AND ‘WISH YOU WERE HERE’ WAS A POEM SHE WROTE ABOUT ME THAT I SECRETLY RERD ON MY PHONE. SHE HAD NO IA. I WAS LIKE, ‘CAN YOU JT READ ME THAT POEM AGA?’… LATER ON SHE DISVERED THAT I’D PUT A SONG AND AT FIRST SHE WAS LIKE, ‘TAKE OUT. I DON’T WANT THERE.’” “SHE’S VERY MUCH A GIRL WHO WANTS TO BE BEHD THE MERA AND NOT ONT OF , AND THAT’S WHY OUR RELATNSHIP WORKS SO WELL,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS. “WE’LL CREATE THIS WHOLE WORLD, AND THEN I GO AND PERFORM . IT’S THE PERFECT RELATNSHIP FOR ME…. I WOULDN’T HAVE THIS RERD IF WASN’T FOR KELSI.” MOST POPULARTE CRIME, TE FAH: THE SERIAL KILLER AND THE TEXAS MOM WHO STOPPED HIMBY JULIE MILLERRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTH“DOPEY AND CONSTUTNALLY DUB”: LEGAL EXPERTS BLAST JUDGE AILEEN CANNON’S LATT PRO-TMP RULGSBY BS LEVIN FACT, THE TWO TEND TO TIE THE KNOT LAST MARCH—YET ANOTHER PLAN RAILED BY THE PANMIC. “WE WERE GOG TO GET MARRIED VEGAS,” BARON-GRACIE SAYS. “I WANTED A TRASHY WEDDG, AND I’M ANNOYED THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN.” THE MOMENT FOR VEGAS “HAS PASSED,” SHE SAYS, BUT THEY’LL FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO GET HCHED DOWN THE LE. “YOU KNOW HOW GAY RELATNSHIPS GO; YOU MEET THAT PERSON AND YOU’RE LIKE, ‘LET’S MOVE TOGETHER,’” SHE JOK. BUT SHE FEELS ROCK-SOLID LUCK: “WHEN YOU TABLISH THAT MUTUAL RPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER, IS REALLY BETIFUL.” THIS TYPE OF OPENNS, BOTH TERVIEWS AND HER SONGWRG, IS RELATIVELY NEW FOR BARON-GRACIE. THOUGH SHE’S BEEN OUT FOR YEARS—“Y I’M GAY” SHE TWEETED NOVEMBER 2018, A LIGHTFULLY NONCHALANT MOVE RIVALED ONLY BY KRISTEN STEWART’S “I’M, LIKE, SO GAY, DU” ON SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE—THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SHE’S BEEN LIBERATELY VOL ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF HER INTY. “WHEN I WROTE THE FIRST PALE WAV ALBUM [MY MD MAK NOIS, RELEASED 2018,] I FELT VERY YOUNG,” SHE SAYS TO EXPLA THE SHIFT. “I WAS AWARE OF MY SEXUALY, BUT I HADN’T YET OWNED . I HAD A LOT MORE TO EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE. I DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE TO WRE ABOUT.” IN THE TERIM, SHE’S BEE MORE FORTABLE HER OWN SK. “TOO MANY PEOPLE THK I’M STRAIGHT AND I’M LIKE, REALLY? MOST ARE MEN. [I’M LIKE,] I’M NOT STRAIGHT; I A’T GOG TO GET WH YOU…. I’VE ALWAYS BEEN GAY. WHEN I ME OUT OF THE WOMB I KNEW I WAS GAY.” ARRIVG AT THIS POT, OTHER WORDS, HAS BEEN A PROCS. AND LIKE MANY ARTISTS, BARON-GRACIE CREDS THE COVID-DUCED LULL PALE WAV’ TOURG SCHLE WH GIVG HER TIME TO DO THE KD OF PERSONAL WORK THAT’S ALLOWED HER SONGWRG TO PROGRS. “WHEN YOU GET TO THAT LIFTYLE OF TOURG, ’S A WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S NOT REAL LIFE. YOU’RE PTURED BY . AND I THK THAT STUNTED MY MATURY AND MY PERSPECTIVE.” PALE WAV HAS ANNOUNCED A TOUR OF THE U.K. AND IRELAND 2022, BUT BARON-GRACIE DIT SHE’LL STAY FOCED WARD UNTIL THEN, LIKELY ON A THIRD STUD ALBUM. AND WHEN SHE RETURNS TO THE ROAD, SHE’LL HAVE FIRMER BOUNDARI PLACE. “I’VE BEE A LOT MORE STUBBORN TERMS OF LETTG PEOPLE KNOW WHEN I NEED A BREAK,” SHE SAYS. “IT’S IMPORTANT TO SET BOUNDARI AND SAY, I NEED TIME TO GO OFF AND JT BREATHE. AND THEN I’LL E BACK TO THE CHAOS.” MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— COVER STORY: THE CHARMG BILLIE EILISH— KOBE BRYANT’S TRAGIC FLIGHT, ONE YEAR LATER— HOW THE PGA POLISHED OFF DONALD TMP— COULD THE MONARCHY “GO OVER A CLIFF” AFTER QUEEN ELIZABETH DI?— 36 ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR RECREATG INIC BILLIE EILISH NAIL MOMENTS— INSI 2021’S CELEBRY-GOSSIP RENAISSANCE— WHAT WILL MELANIA TMP’S LEGACY BE?— FROM THE ARCHIVE: THE BRANT BROTHERS’ QUT TO CONQUER MANHATTAN— NOT A SUBSCRIBER? JO VANY FAIR TO RECEIVE FULL ACCS TO AND THE PLETE ONLE ARCHIVE NOW.CLAIRE LANDSBM

In many ways, the band’s send album, Who Am I?, is a love letter to Baron-Gracie’s girliend—who she planned to marry Vegas last March. The openns is new, but the sentiment isn’t. “When I me out of the womb I knew I was gay,” Baron-Gracie says. * is heather baron gracie gay *

Ciara was so open about beg gay and they were so nfint about and so proud of and I looked at them and thought, ‘I wish I uld be like that. “You know how gay relatnships go; you meet that person and you’re like, ‘Let’s move together, ’” she jok.

Though she’s been out for years—“Y I’m gay” she tweeted November 2018, a lightfully nonchalant move rivaled only by Kristen Stewart’s “I’m, like, so gay, du” on Saturday Night Live—this is the first time she’s been liberately vol about this aspect of her inty.

I’ve always been gay. When I me out of the womb I knew I was gay.

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