From Alanis Morissette to Sylvia Rivera: The icons who inspired Pale Waves’ Heather Baron-Gracie

For the past decade, Manchester goth-pop crew Pale Waves have been an inspiration throughout the UK scene. But who propels Heather Baron-Gracie in her own journey? The singer reveals her personal heroes – both in and out of music…

“She proved women could lead a successful rock band. She had such a powerful impact, and her success inspired so many young women to pursue careers in music. She was so unique and authentic, and her voice was truly free – she was a real artist. My dad got me into them, I listened to whatever he did growing up, like The Cranberries and Cocteau Twins. It’s hard to choose a favourite song, but I’ll say Linger because it’s timeless and you can relate to it at any point in your life.”

“She was a transgender activist alongside Marsha P. Johnson, and was involved with the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activist Alliance. Her efforts to fight for transgender people in the broader LGBTQ+ movement left a lasting legacy. She was one of the first people to really create a movement and pushed to have a wider conversation. The start of it must have been horrific, and what they did paved the way for me and so many others. I feel like we have to carry on trying to do that. There’s still a long way to go. The trans community gets the most hate, and I don’t really understand it. I don’t know why people get so offended.”

“She’s one of the greatest gymnasts of all time, and she inspires people all around the world – not just through her athletic achievements, but through her courage, because she’s had such a tough career. The impact she’s had on mental health awareness has been so significant. For her to come back to the Olympics this year, after what happened in Tokyo [she withdrew from various events in the 2020 Summer Olympics due to mental health concerns], it really shows that you’re never too old to do something. I admire how strong she is as a woman, and as an athlete.”

“She’s so iconic. A lot of her themes are focused on empowerment, which is amazing, and she’s spoken about mental health and body image issues. Jagged Little Pill [1995] soundtracked many, many years of my life. You can look up the lyrics to any of her songs and get lost in them. There’s a documentary that goes back over her career when she was starting out and the difficulty she had battling a very sexist music industry. She’s such a powerful woman, and you can really hear that in her music.”

“He’s one of my favourite poets. His work is known for emotional depth, capturing complex feelings and experiences in a way that’s both profound and relatable. He has this ability to articulate what I feel, but I feel like I can’t express. It makes his poetry deeply impactful. He inspired me as a songwriter. I carried one of his books around for years, and I’ve read it so many times, but it never gets old. Whenever I’m feeling a lack of inspiration, I pick up one of his poetry books, and it really sparks something in me.”

Pale Waves tour from September 24. This article originally appeared in the autumn 2024 issue of the magazine.

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