Glass Animals are an English indie rock band that was formed in Oxford, England, in 2012, but the label “indie” may seem somewhat restrictive for the innovative genre-blending creators. Their sound is an undoubtedly unique one that brings together R&B, synth-pop, hip-hop, and more familiar strains of indie into an offbeat, extraterrestrial and sometimes dreamlike concoction that’s hard to step away from.

The diversity of their sound stems from a close connection of friends who share common roots. Glass Animals is led by producer, singer, and songwriter Dave Bayley, who was initially born in the U.S. and moved with his family to Oxford at the age of 13. There he met future Glass Animals drummer Joe Seaward and eventually Ed Irwin-Singer and Drew MacFarlane, all of whom remain a part of the band today.

Since their formation in 2012, Glass Animals has gone on to carve a distinct name for themselves in the music scene; their song “Gooey” from the band’s first album “Zaba” (2014) was certified platinum in the U.S., with their second album “How to be a Human Being” (2016) going on to win two categories at the 2018 MPG Awards. However, their third project–titled “Dreamland” (2020)–has been their biggest success by far, producing the single “Heat Waves” that landed on the No. 1 spot on the US Billboard Hot 100. You may have heard the nostalgic-yet-futuristic sounding tune go viral on TikTok and beyond, which certainly bodes well for the continued popularity and success of the group.