Glass Animals

Biography

Glass Animals is a band from Oxford, England, consisting of lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Bayley, guitarist keyboardist Drew Macfarlane, bassist Ed Irwin-Singer, and drummer Joe Seaward. The band formed in 2010 and released their debut album Zaba in 2014. Their sound features elements of indie, rock, electronica, and several other genres.

Here’s some need-to-know information about Glass Animals, who are currently making waves with their hit single “Heat Waves.”

instruments played

drums

Guitar

keyboards

tambourine

Vocals

Genres

Psychedelic pop
indie pop
indie rock
electronic rock

Labels

Wolf Tone
Caroline International
Harvest
Polydor
Republic

Origin

Oxford, England

Website

glassanimals.eu

Years Active

2010 - present

Wiki Link

The First Glass Animals Album

Band members Dave Bayley, Drew Macfarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward are all childhood friends. Towards the beginning of their time making music together, the band's lead singer, Dave Bayley, was in the middle of attending medical school at King's College in London. However, he and the band caught the attention of Paul Epworth, producer for Adele, who signed the group after the release of their first few songs. The first entry in the Glass Animals discography is the Leaflings EP, released via Kaya Kaya Records, which came out in 2013. It was followed by a second, self-titled EP later in the year, which included a collaboration with Jean Deaux on a song titled “Woozy.” Several songs from these EPs later ended up on the tracklist for the band's debut studio album. Leaflings features the track "Cocoa Hooves," which became one of their earliest sleeper hits. Other early tracks in the band's discography include "Psylla" and "Golden Antlers." Released on June 9, 2014, via the label Wolf Tone Records, Zaba was produced by Dave Bayley and executive produced by Paul Epworth. The band's debut album includes the indie-pop hit "Gooey," a song that Triple J ranked at number 12 on their list of the Hottest 100 of 2014. After the release of the album, the band performed the song on Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Late Show with David Letterman. The song went on to be featured in Magic Mike XXL. "Gooey" made it onto several charts in multiple countries, including the US Hot Rock and Alternative Songs chart, the UK Singles Sales Chart, and the Australian charts. The song was later certified Platinum in three countries – Canada, Australia, and The United States. Other successful singles from the album include "Hazey," "Black Mambo," and "Pools."

How to Be a Human Being

Before putting out another record, the band came out with the non-album single "Lose Control," a collaboration with American rapper Joey Bada$$. That single was their only release in 2015, a year that the band primarily spent touring. On August 26, 2016, the band released their second full-length album, How to Be a Human Being, via Wolf Tone, Caroline International, and Harvest Records. The album features the singles "Life Itself," "The Other Side of Paradise," "Season 2 Episode 3," "Pork Soda," and "Agnes." The band started working on How to Be a Human Being after embarking on a tour that took them to Europe, the US, Australia, and Mexico. During that tour, they performed at massive festivals like Glastonbury, Firefly, Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, and more. The tour was cut short, however, when Seaward was hit by a lorry while in Dublin and fractured his skull. The album's 11 songs are all based on the fictional stories of 11 separate characters, all of whom appear on the cover for the record. On the album cover, the characters are portrayed by actors and models, including Brock Brenner, Camila Ivera, Pat Janssen, Heidi Kaufman, and Dorian Hampton.

Dreamland and More

The most recent Glass Animals release is Dreamland, an album that came out on August 7, 2020. Released via Wolf Tone and Polydor Records, the album has a more R&B and hip-hop-inspired sound than previous entries in the band's discography. It is also the first album by the band to feature lyrics based on singer Dave Bayley's childhood memories in Texas. Singles from Dreamland include "Tokyo Drifting (feat. Denzel Curry)," "Your Love (Déjà Vu," the title track, "Heat Waves," and "It's All So Incredibly Loud." The most successful song on the tracklist was "Heat Waves," a song that was later remixed by the likes of Diplo, Iann Dior, Riton, and Oliver Heldens. Several songs from the album charted, including "Hot Sugar" and "Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth," both of which made it onto the US Rock charts. "Heat Waves" was certified Platinum in the US, the UK, and several other countries. It made it to the top of the US Hot Rock & Alternative songs chart and was later a number-one hit in Australia. The song gained additional traction thanks to placement on countless Spotify playlists and going viral on TikTok. The band has continued to release music following the success of their third studio album. They've put out three singles since the album dropped – "Tangerine" featuring Arlo Parks, "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" with Bree Runway, and "I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)."