Getting back to reality

Having been cooped up at home when their last album released amid the pandemic, Glass Animals’s Dave Bayley says he’s happy to see “real-time responses” to the band’s latest work

The last time that English rock band Glass Animals released an album was amid the pandemic. While composition may be one way to advance a career in music, frontman Dave Bayley says the group missed the chance to take their songs to a live audience and “experience the album”. This time around, however, things are different. “It’s nice to meet people and see their response to our new album in real time,” says Bayley, who presents I Love You So F**king Much with his band. 

“Releasing our last setlist during the pandemic felt dissociated. We were stuck at home while the album was out [being heard] by fans. With this album, I am trying to get back to reality. I spent so much time on the internet during the pandemic that with this release, I am trying to find human connections again.” 

For Beyley, India may be the country that wholeheartedly celebrated his track, Heat waves. The ample social media reels that were made against the song improved its reach. “I never expected it [to become so popular]. It is a personal and honest song. It feels like a secret has been let out. Seeing how many people it brought [joy] to means everything. I’ve seen many fusion reels, including a remix made with AR Rahman’s song. I’d love to do a collaboration at some point. I grew up spending a lot of time studying Indian music. It would be wicked to do something in that space.”

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