Glass Animals

Glass Animals, formed in Oxford, England, in 2010, 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). The band members met at St. Edward’s School in Oxford. Dave Bayley, who spent his early childhood in the U.S., bonded with Drew MacFarlane over their shared experiences of growing up abroad. Their debut EP, “Leaflings,” was released in 2012 on Kaya Kaya Records. This period also saw the release of “Black Mambo / Exxus EP” in Europe and “Glass Animals EP” in the US, featuring a collaboration with Jean Deaux.

The band’s first full-length album, “Zaba,” released in 2014, included the single “Gooey,” which later achieved platinum certification in the U.S. They embarked on their first U.S. tour in 2014, including an appearance at the South by Southwest festival. “Gooey” was performed on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” in October 2014 and “Late Show with David Letterman” in February 2015, contributing to their growing exposure. In 2015, they toured extensively, performing over 130 shows across different continents, including sold-out venues like The Wiltern in LA and T5 in NYC.

The second album, “How to Be a Human Being,” released in 2016, featured singles “Life Itself” and “Youth.” “Life Itself” reached number 14 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. The album was critically acclaimed, earning UK Album of the Year and Self Producing Artist of the Year at the 2018 MPG Awards and a Mercury Prize shortlist nomination. A turning point occurred in 2018 when drummer Joe Seaward was severely injured, leading to the cancellation of tour dates. Following his recovery, the band released “Dreamland” in 2020. This album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US Billboard 200. The single “Heat Waves” became a significant success, going viral on TikTok, reaching number one in Australia in 2021, and eventually topping the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 2022. It amassed over two billion streams on Spotify by September 2022. In 2022, Glass Animals received two Brit Awards nominations and a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Their most recent album, “I Love You So F***ing Much,” was released in July 2024.