Glass Animals

Glass Animals are an English electronic/alternative rock band formed in Oxford 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).

All four members of the band met at St Edward's School in Oxford. Dave Bayley 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 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. 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. "Gooey" went on to be certified platinum in the U.S., cementing the band’s foothold in the alternative music scene.

Their second album, How to Be a Human Being (2016), won two MPG Awards for UK Album of the Year and Self Producing Artist of the Year and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. The concept behind the album, in which each song tells a story inspired by fictional characters, allowed the band to explore various musical styles and themes, contributing to its widespread acclaim.

The band's third album, Dreamland (2020), marked a more introspective turn, as Bayley delved into personal themes, touching on nostalgia and memory. Dreamland reached number two on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US Billboard 200, driven in part by the massive success of “Heat Waves.” The song, which became a global hit through TikTok, eventually topped charts worldwide, including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and achieved over two billion Spotify streams by 2022. The album was promoted with singles like “Tokyo Drifting” featuring rapper Denzel Curry and “Your Love (Déjà Vu)”.

Glass Animals’ achievements were recognized with two Brit Award nominations in 2022 and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist, marking their influence in both the alternative and mainstream music scenes.