Pale Waves are an English rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and bassist Charlie Wood soon joined and completed the lineup. The band's early work is often described as 80s-inspired indie rock or synth-pop; their second and third albums, however, owe more to the pop-punk genre.

After signing a record deal with Dirty Hit in 2017, Pale Waves released their debut single, "There's a Honey", followed by "Television Romance". In 2018, the band were ranked fifth in the BBC Sound of 2018 poll and won the NME Under the Radar Award at the NME Awards. Pale Waves' debut EP, All the Things I Never Said, was released in February 2018, followed by their albums, My Mind Makes Noises, (2018), Who Am I? (2021), and Unwanted (2022). The band's fourth album, Smitten, was released on 27 September 2024.