5 Reasons You Should Be Paying Attention to Glass Animals

Image via Complex Original

After releasing their first EP on XL Recordings imprint Kaya Kaya, the band caught the attention of super-producer Paul Epworth. Though they’d never met, Paul had already influenced the boys through his work with pioneering bands like Animal Collective and Bloc Party, not to mention icons like Adele, the Rapture, and Florence and the Machine. After Epworth watched Glass Animals perform live in London, they became the first signing to his newly founded label called Wolf Tone, under which they released their first full-length album.

Making good on promises is a true mark of character. Glass Animals told their fans that if they made it into the top 20 of the Triple J’s Hottest 100, Drew MacFarlane would strip down and get slapped with a fish. And then it actually happened. Glass Animals landed at No. 12 and they all got together to slap Drew with not one, not two, but three fish, fulfilling their promise to fans and also staying conscious of the environment by not letting the fish go to waste, as they filleted and ate the fish afterward. There ain’t no award for that, although there should be.

Music aside, Glass Animals are standing out for some of the best visuals and art direction of today’s up-and-comers. Their videos hit the sweet spot between captivating viewers and creeping them out. They’ve worked with Georgia Hudson and Rafael Bonilla on everything from stop-motion videos to cinematic shorts filled with striking choreography featuring the "bone-breaking" Solitary dance crew. Last year, Pitchfork also cast their album cover for ZABA, art directed by England’s Boat Studio, among Aphex Twin and Swans on the list of the Best Album Covers of 2014.

Slow growth has been pivotal in the creative process for Glass Animals’ live set. From selling out bars with the capacity of only a few hundred to playing huge venues and festivals like Coachella, they have had time to figure out “the science” behind giving a great performance. It’s ever-changing too; the band isn’t comfortable with doing the same thing night after night. They’re constantly working on their live sequencing. Whether it’s a stripped-down acoustic performance or a 5,000-person festival show, Glass Animals know how to deliver.

Glass Animals started out in Dave Bayley’s bedroom, so their production style has retained a bit of the DIY quality that they relied on in the early days. At any given time, they might be physically recording animal sounds from YouTube clips or holding a pineapple named “Sasha Fierce” whilst laying down vocals. It’s a tradition. The boys are versatile too, recording anything from hip-hop beats to covers of Kanye West’s "Love Lockdown."