Though they hail from Oxford, Glass Animals thrive in hot, humid environs. Their 2014 debut feels like a late-night rainforest cruise into uncharted territory, powered by tropical grooves and ayahuasca-induced weirdness. Even as he guides you through the drum-circle ceremony of “Walla Walla” and jungle rumble of “Pools”, singer David Bayley remains a smooth tour operator, countering the percussive propulsion with a cool, melodic sensibility that’s equal parts James Blake and Thom Yorke.Though they hail from Oxford, Glass Animals thrive in hot, humid environs. Their 2014 debut feels like a late-night rainforest cruise into uncharted territory, powered by tropical grooves and ayahuasca-induced weirdness. Even as he guides you through the drum-circle ceremony of “Walla Walla” and jungle rumble of “Pools”, singer David Bayley remains a smooth tour operator, countering the percussive propulsion with a cool, melodic sensibility that’s equal parts James Blake and Thom Yorke.false2025-11-08 07:05:54ZABA20142014-06-062014-06-0646ElectronicIndie Rock143966226773256866f4f-50fe-4672-8aad-9db0f8b2e67720395131-fbde-43ce-b141-b700cfdae99c75f62ce7-2b19-4e54-8e53-c043eb847650/media/data/media4/Music/Glass Animals/ZABA/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.