Glass Animals
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Glass Animals are a British indie rock band formed in Oxford, England in 2010. The band's line-up consists of Dave Bayley (vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, songwriting), Drew MacFarlane (guitar, keyboards, backing vocals), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), and Joe Seaward (drums).
Their first album, Zaba (2014), spawned the single "Gooey", which was eventually certified platinum in the U.S. Their second full album, How to Be a Human Being, received positive reviews and won in two categories at the 2018 MPG Awards for UK Album of the Year and Self Producing Artist of the Year, as well as a spot on the Mercury Prize shortlist. The third, Dreamland, peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US Billboard 200.
The band is best known for their biggest hit single "Heat Waves", which went viral on TikTok. It reached number one in Australia in February 2021 and was voted number one on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020. The song surpassed two billion streams on Spotify by September 2022, and eventually reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the UK Singles Chart. At the 2022 Brit Awards, the band were nominated for two Brit Awards (Best British Alternative/Rock Act and "Heat Waves" for Best British Single). They received their first Grammy nomination in the Best New Artist category at the 2022 Grammy Awards.
History
2010–2015: Formation, Zaba , and various EPs
All four members of the band met at St Edward's School in Oxford. The band's lead singer and songwriter Dave Bayley, who moved to the U.S. at a young age due to his father's job, grew up in Massachusetts and Texas before returning to England at the age of 13. He attended St Edward's on a music scholarship and was introduced to Drew MacFarlane, who would become the band's guitarist and backing vocalist; the two bonded over the fact that they were both Britons who had spent their childhoods in the U.S. MacFarlane then introduced Bayley to Edmund Irwin-Singer, the band's bassist, and Joe Seaward, its drummer. They began playing together as a group in 2010.
On 28 May 2012, the band released their debut EP Leaflings, which included the single "Cocoa Hooves". The EP was released on independent label Kaya Kaya Records, a subsidiary and imprint of XL Recordings (part of the Beggars Group of labels).
In 2013, the band released Black Mambo / Exxus EP in Europe, and Glass Animals EP in the US. The Glass Animals EP also saw the band collaborating with Jean Deaux, a soulful hip-hop teenager from Chicago, on a song titled "Woozy".
In 2014, the band made their first tour of the U.S. and performed at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. They released three more singles: "Gooey", "Pools", and "Hazey", along with a collaboration with Argentine singer-songwriter and producer Tei Shi.[citation needed]
All five singles were included on the band's debut album, Zaba, which was released on 6 June 2014. The band performed the single "Gooey" on Late Night with Seth Meyers on 9 October 2014 and again on Late Show with David Letterman on 24 February 2015, and toured extensively after Zaba, visiting both hemispheres and playing over 130 shows in 2015 alone. Their October 2015 US tour included two sold-out shows at The Wiltern in LA and sold-out shows across America including T5 in NYC, The Riverside in Milwaukee, and the Midland Theatre in Kansas City.
A collaboration with American rapper Joey Bada$$, titled "Lose Control", was released on 6 October 2015.
2016–2019: How to Be a Human Being
On 16 May 2016, the band released the lead single, "Life Itself", from their second album How to Be a Human Being. "Life Itself" peaked at number 14 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and spent 26 weeks on Sirius XM's Alt-18 chart, peaking at number one. A music video for the song was released on 7 June 2016. The band also created a website based on the character from "Life Itself".
On 25 July, a second single from the album, "Youth", was released along with its music video. This song was also used as a soundtrack in the popular football video game by EA Sports, FIFA 17. Four days before the release of the album, on 22 August, the band released a third single, "Season 2 Episode 3", about a girl who "spends her entire time watching TV, lounging around, not doing anything, being high, eating mayonnaise from a jar".
The full album How to Be a Human Being was released on 26 August 2016 by Wolf Tone and Caroline International in Europe, and Harvest Records in the United States. It was inspired by stories of strangers that Bayley met on tour, with each song telling a different story from a different perspective.
In July 2018, drummer Joe Seaward was seriously injured when he was hit by a lorry while cycling in Dublin. Seaward's accident and recovery resulted in the band cancelling their remaining tour dates for rest of the year.
2019–2024: Dreamland
After touring for How to Be a Human Being, the band released two singles; "Tokyo Drifting", a duet with Denzel Curry, on 14 November 2019, and "Your Love (Déjà Vu)" on 19 February 2020. On 1 May 2020, the band released a single named "Dreamland", and announced an album of the same name to be released on 10 July 2020. The beginnings of Dreamland originated after drummer Joe Seaward's bike accident in Dublin. While spending long hours by Seaward's side in the hospital as he recovered, Bayley started "writing down memories and searching for more memories." Those memories eventually evolved into the nostalgic and very personal Dreamland album full of references to Bayley's childhood and other points in his life.
On 28 June, the band announced that the album had been delayed, to "keep focus on the Black Lives Matter movement and the discussions taking place around racism and police brutality around the world." In the lead-up to Dreamland, Glass Animals launched an open-source website where fans could access and download song samples, artwork, and other content related to the album. Dreamland was released on 7 August 2020 via Polydor Records. In an interview with Atwood Magazine, Bayley explained: "I guess the goal with this record was to make something that was incredibly honest and incredibly us." The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number two. "Heat Waves" was included on the FIFA 21 soundtrack.
On 23 January 2021, "Heat Waves" placed first on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2020 in Australia, with "Tangerine" placing at 18th and "Your Love (Déjà Vu)" at 51st. The following month, "Heat Waves" reached number one on the ARIA Singles Chart. In April 2021, "Tokyo Drifting" was featured in a television commercial released by Peloton as part of their Champions Collection campaign.
A bonus track and single, "I Don’t Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)", was included on the FIFA 22 soundtrack. After a record-breaking 59-week climb on the US Billboard Hot 100, "Heat Waves" topped the chart for the week ending 12 March 2022.
2024–present: I Love You So F***ing Much
In February 2024, posters began to appear in major cities that read "I love you so f***ing much". Around this same time, the Glass Animals website changed from the Dreamland computer to a dark screen with a dolphin next to a search bar where you could ask questions. Next, the account "hal9000000" began posting snippets of the new single on SoundCloud, including "Fake Blood" and "3am". Finally, on 21 March, Glass Animals uploaded a video titled "Incoming" with the same single from the "hal9000000" snippets. On 28 March 2024, the band announced their single "Creatures in Heaven". It was released on 3 April 2024, along with the album title and release date. On 4 April, the "Tour of Earth 2024" was announced, with 42 shows across North America and Europe, with further shows being announced in Australia and New Zealand. In May, Glass Animals began teasing a second song from the album, "A Tear In Space (Airlock)". The intro was first teased at a popup show at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown CA on April 11, 2024, and played in full during the encore at Liberty Hall, Sydney, on May 9. The song and accompanying music video were released on June 7th. I Love You So F***ing Much was released on 19 July 2024, to mixed reviews from critics.
The band released the single "Vampire Bat" on 8 August 2025.
Musical style
Glass Animals' musical style has been described as indie rock, psychedelic pop, indie pop, electronic rock, and alternative pop.
Band members
- Dave Bayley – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums, tambourine, songwriting
- Drew MacFarlane – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Edmund Irwin-Singer – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Joe Seaward – drums
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | BEL (WA) | CAN | IRL | NLD | NZ | SWI | US | ||||
| Zaba | Released: 6 June 2014 Label: Wolf Tone, Caroline Formats: CD, LP, digital download | 92 | 12 | — | 162 | — | — | — | — | — | 177 | US: 136,000 | BPI: Silver |
| How to Be a Human Being | Released: 26 August 2016 Label: Wolf Tone, Caroline Formats: CD, LP, digital download | 23 | 11 | 68 | 151 | 50 | 20 | 77 | — | 87 | 20 | US: 12,000 | BPI: Gold ARIA: Gold |
| Dreamland | Released: 7 August 2020 Label: Wolf Tone, Polydor Formats: CD, LP, digital download | 2 | 6 | 32 | 106 | 13 | 8 | 15 | 8 | 51 | 7 | US: 60,000 | BPI: Gold ARIA: Gold MC: Platinum RIAA: Gold |
| I Love You So F***ing Much | Released: 19 July 2024 Label: Polydor Formats: CD, LP, digital download | 5 | 5 | 34 | 90 | — | 44 | 20 | 7 | 44 | 11 | ||
| "—" denotes an album that did not chart, or was not released in that country. |
Remix albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Remixes | Released: 17 February 2015 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: CD, digital download |
Extended plays
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Leaflings | Released: 28 May 2012 Label: Kaya Kaya Formats: Digital download |
| Glass Animals | Released: 2013 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
| Pools | Released: 2014 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
| Adulthood | Released: 20 November 2020 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
| Adolescence | Released: 4 December 2020 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
| Childhood | Released: 8 January 2021 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
| Heat Waves (Expansion Pack) | Released: 18 March 2021 Label: Wolf Tone Formats: Digital download |
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | AUS | BEL (FL) | CAN | GER | IRL | NZ | SWI | US | WW | ||||
| "Cocoa Hooves" | 2012 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Leaflings EP | |
| "Psylla" | 2013 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Glass Animals EP | |
| "Black Mambo" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | Zaba | |
| "Pools" | 2014 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Gooey" | — | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | BPI: Silver ARIA: 3× Platinum MC: Platinum RIAA: 2× Platinum | ||
| "Hazey" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Lose Control" (with Joey Bada$$) | 2015 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "Life Itself" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | How to Be a Human Being |
| "Youth" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | BPI: Silver ARIA: Platinum | ||
| "Season 2 Episode 3" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | ||
| "Pork Soda" | 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | |
| "Agnes" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Tokyo Drifting" (with Denzel Curry) | 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Platinum RIAA: Gold | Dreamland |
| "Your Love (Déjà Vu)" | 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | |
| "Dreamland" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Heat Waves" | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | BPI: 5× Platinum ARIA: 23× Platinum BVMI: Diamond IFPI SWI: 6× Platinum MC: 8× Platinum RIAA: Diamond RMNZ: 7× Platinum | ||
| "It's All So Incredibly Loud" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Tangerine" (featuring Arlo Parks) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | ||
| "Space Ghost Coast to Coast" (with Bree Runway) | 2021 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "I Don't Wanna Talk (I Just Wanna Dance)" | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | Dreamland (+ Bonus Levels 2.0) | |
| "Creatures in Heaven" | 2024 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | I Love You So F***ing Much | |
| "A Tear in Space (Airlock)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Show Pony" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Wonderful Nothing" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Vampire Bat" | 2025 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single | |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "Heart-Shaped Box (Quarantine Covers Ep. 1)" | 2020 | Non-album promotional singles |
| "Young and Beautiful (Quarantine Covers Ep. 2)" |
Other charted and certified songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLR Air. | EST Air. | NZ Hot | UKR | US Rock | ||||
| "The Other Side of Paradise" | 2016 | — | — | — | — | 45 | ARIA: Platinum | How to Be a Human Being |
| "Take a Slice" | — | — | — | — | — | ARIA: Gold | ||
| "Hot Sugar" | 2020 | — | — | 28 | — | 41 | Dreamland | |
| "Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth" | — | — | — | — | 45 | |||
| "Heatwaves" (Diplo remix) | 181 | 174 | — | 175 | — | "Heatwaves" single | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Association | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Mercury Prize | Album of the Year | How to Be a Human Being | Nominated | |
| 2018 | MPG | UK Album of the Year | Won | ||
| Self Producing Artist of the Year | Dave Bayley (Glass Animals) | ||||
| 2021 | Variety | Group of the Year | Glass Animals | ||
| Video Music Awards | Best Alternative | "Heat Waves" | Nominated | ||
| 2022 | Billboard Music Awards | Top Duo/Group | Glass Animals | ||
| Top Rock Artist | Won | ||||
| Top Streaming Song | "Heat Waves" | Nominated | |||
| Top Viral Song | |||||
| Brit Awards | Best British Single | ||||
| Best British Rock/Alternative Act | Glass Animals | ||||
| Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | ||||
| Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Breakout Artist | ||||
| iHeartRadio Titanium Award | 1 Billion Total Audience Spins on iHeartRadio Stations | "Heat Waves" | Won | ||
| 2023 | iHeartRadio Music Awards | Song of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Alternative Song of the Year | |||||
| Best Duo/Group of the Year | Glass Animals | ||||
| 2025 | Berlin Music Video Awards | Best Concept | "Show Pony" | ||
| 2026 | Clio Awards | Use of Artists, Talent & Influencers | Roblox Experience | Bronze |
Notes
External links
- 2 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine