After releasing their debut album ZABA, Glass Animals spent the better part of two years on tour, an experience that had a significant impact on their music. Not only did they translate ZABA's aloof ambient pop for ever-bigger audiences, the stories they heard from people they met on the road inspired How to Be a Human Being, a more ambitious, more engaged, and more engaging follow-up that makes a strong case for interacting with the world instead of hiding in a bedroom making beats. Written within weeks of finishing the tour, How to Be a Human Being sprung from an intensive creative process that involved imagining its characters, down to their favorite foods and hobbies, and recruiting photographer Neil Krug to bring its visuals to life. Despite this attention to detail, these character studies aren't especially literal. Only a handful of songs, like the wannabe-populated "The Other Side of Paradise," offer much in the way of narrative or world-building. Instead, Glass Animals focus on a very human mix of emotions, particularly on the album's bookends: "Life Itself"'s protagonist describes himself as "Northern Camden's own Flash Gordon," capturing the innocent swagger of starting out in a way that feels equally endearing and ridiculous, while "Agnes" records someone's final moments with bittersweet majesty.After releasing their debut album ZABA, Glass Animals spent the better part of two years on tour, an experience that had a significant impact on their music. Not only did they translate ZABA's aloof ambient pop for ever-bigger audiences, the stories they heard from people they met on the road inspired How to Be a Human Being, a more ambitious, more engaged, and more engaging follow-up that makes a strong case for interacting with the world instead of hiding in a bedroom making beats. Written within weeks of finishing the tour, How to Be a Human Being sprung from an intensive creative process that involved imagining its characters, down to their favorite foods and hobbies, and recruiting photographer Neil Krug to bring its visuals to life. Despite this attention to detail, these character studies aren't especially literal. Only a handful of songs, like the wannabe-populated "The Other Side of Paradise," offer much in the way of narrative or world-building. Instead, Glass Animals focus on a very human mix of emotions, particularly on the album's bookends: "Life Itself"'s protagonist describes himself as "Northern Camden's own Flash Gordon," capturing the innocent swagger of starting out in a way that feels equally endearing and ridiculous, while "Agnes" records someone's final moments with bittersweet majesty.false2023-11-27 09:18:04How to Be a Human Being8.720162016-08-262016-08-2643ElectronicIndie RockPopPsychedelic RockRockSynth-Pop143966226773153762695-bf58-46e0-bfb1-cdd8f71274ef20395131-fbde-43ce-b141-b700cfdae99c122e15fb-266e-4b72-91e2-bb7737394365/config/metadata/library/5a/5aa2eb4efc127fce846589f8b7130bac/folder.jpgGlass AnimalsGlass AnimalsGlass Animals are an English indie 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).
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.