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On QUIT!!, HARDY’s new rock album released Friday (July 15) via Big Loud Rock, several of the characters are, to put it mildly, not quite right in the head. “Jim Bob” is a disillusioned pill-popping veteran who “has a breakdown every 45 seconds,” according to the singer-songwriter, while the protagonist on “Psycho” becomes unhinged at the thought of his girlfriend leaving him.
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But HARDY warns not to confuse the characters working out their demons in his songs with their creator. “I’m a pretty tame, surprisingly soft-spoken dude,” he says. That may be, but he’s far from soft-spoken on Quit!!, on which he shows he can unleash a rock-and-roll howl worthy of the best heavy metal singer.
In addition to the songs featuring fictional characters, a number of the tunes are deeply autobiographical, including the title track, which relays the true story of how a patron wrote the word “quit” on a napkin and put it in HARDY’s tip jar while he was playing a bar more than 10 years ago. That insult fueled HARDY’s ambition and put a chip on his shoulder that still drives him today.
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“Feeling like you have something to prove to somebody always I think is important— at least for me for my creative spirit,” he says. “Complacency kills.”
The album also tells the upbeat tale of how he met his wife, Caleigh, on “WHYBMWL,” which stands for “where have you been my whole life,” and the set closer, the deeply romantic (yet fatalistic “Six Feet Under (Caleigh’s Song).”
“I surprised her with ‘Six Feet Under’ and didn’t play her that until my entire record was done and and she like lost it, which was the reaction that I needed,” he says. “I wanted so bad to make her cry. [Laughs.] I mean it was so special, and it was just such an emotional time for us. I’m so thankful that she loves it as much as she does.”
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HARDY came to Nashville more than a decade ago to be a country songwriter and had considerable success, penning hits for artists like Florida Georgia Line, Morgan Wallen and Blake Shelton, before releasing his first album, 2020’s A Rock, which included the multiple ACM and CMA Award winner’s first Billboard Country Airplay No. 1, “One Beer” (featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson).
He followed with 2023’s The Mockingbird & The Crow, whose tracks were half country and half rock, and established his rock bona fides by topping Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart and with singles “Jack,” the title track and “Sold Out” all reaching the top 5 of Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart.
Over the last several years, HARDY, who was named BMI’s 2022 country songwriter of the year, has become one of Nashville’s most reliable and successful writers He credits his way with words to having “a knack for English and the rules of the English language ever since [I] was a kid,” he says. “I was terrible at math. I was okay in science, but only because I thought it was neat … when it came to using your words, I swear to God, it was just from birth, or God-given, or whatever you want to call it.”
Despite the outsider status that many of the album’s character inhabit, HARDY says his experience in Nashville has felt embracing, even as he has toggled back and forth between rock and country, landing on more than a dozen different Billboard charts.
He’s encountered no naysayers discouraging him from following his wandering musical muse, HARDY says. “Not one time,” he says. “I’ve got to say being in [Nashville] for 14 or 15 years, I’ve heard the creative horror stories or people being held back and I give all of the props in the world to Big Loud and to [his publisher] Relative Music Group for never, not one time ever, holding me back.”
Even on a song like “Orphan,” which sounds like a treatise against the country music industry as HARDY sings that he feels like “somebody left me in a basket on the front steps/screaming bloody murder at the church door … the orphan of this country music town,” he stresses he is fighting an “internal battle,” not an external one. “I have not been oppressed in any way. Let’s put it that way,” he says.
The exception is his first publishing deal early in his career, which left a grudge that he can conveniently draw upon to this day over his predilection for drawing on redneck themes in his music (After all, this is someone whose first single in 2019 was titled “Rednecker.”)
“Some of the people that I was working with told me verbatim, ‘This song is good, but that redneck s–t ain’t my jam and it’s gonna be hard for me to pitch those kinds of songs,’” he says. “That lit such a huge fire under me. I think to this day that chip on my shoulder is just constantly coming out because I’m like, ‘I’m gonna prove to you that this redneck s–t works.’ There are a ton of people who grew up like me and want to hear that stuff. There’re a few moments early on in my songwriting career that I felt like maybe I believed in myself more than anybody else did. But some of the stuff is just so deeply cut that it’s just there’s no like healing from it.”
Though his rock songs may sound more visceral and raw because of the intense, defiant delivery, Hardy says country songs allow him to tap more into his emotions.
“There’s more poetry in country,” he says. “I think there’s more demons in country than come out in rock. The country stuff is actually where I get more emotion out into the world with songs like ‘Wait in the Truck,’ ‘Give Heaven Some Hell,’ that kind of thing.”
He’s also pleased that fans seem to accept all sides of his artistry, even though he admits he avoids reading the comments on social media and other posts about him: “I don’t really go in too deep and try to dig into the comments or the articles or anything, because I just am afraid of the one bad comment, and I try to keep that negative energy out of my life. But the reception seems like it’s been pretty good so far.”
HARDY didn’t worry about cohesion when creating the album. “I know it’s a little all over the place sonically,” he says. “At the end of the day, I just wrote a bunch of rock songs that I love and love the sound of.”
And songs that he thought would appeal to his fans — especially in concert, including “Jim Bob.” “I wanted a song that everybody in the crowd would be like, ‘This is who I am, I want to go get drunk and shoot my pistol in the sky and all that kind of s–t,’” he explains. “But I don’t pop Percocet and I didn’t damage my knee in the war and s–t like that. I’ve stuck pretty true to who I am and the best way to do that was to make that song about somebody else.”
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In a career that tolerates, if not encourages, “Jim Bob”-type indulgences, HARDY works to keep himself in check, especially since, as he has previously mentioned, alcohol issues run in his extended family. “Every so often [I] kind of take a look and [am] like, ‘What am I doing? How much am I doing? Let’s maybe back off, take a break.’ You just gotta be aware,” he says. “You can’t let it take control of you too much. Sometimes you can be too late, or you can get in a mess, so just keeping myself in check every now and then.”
The album features high profile guests including Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who plays on the ‘90s pop-punk-inspired “Good Girl Phase,” as well as Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst on “Soul4Sale.”
HARDY met Smith through Nickelback lead singer Chad Kroeger at this year’s Super Bowl — Nickelback and HARDY share producer Joey Moi — and in a playful tribute to Nickelback, HARDY wrote Quitt!! song “Rockstar,” which name drops the band, while paying tribute to its 2005 hit of the same name.
“I didn’t have that on my Bingo card,” HARDY jokes of getting to work with musical inspirations like Kroeger and Durst. “To meet people that like who truly influenced the s–t out of me growing up and then to become friends with them, it’s a very cool thing.”
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The rocker who tops his wish list to share a stage and a scream with is Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. “I don’t even know if he even knows I exist, but he would be cool. Alex Terrible from Slaughter to Prevail, he’s a pretty big deal right now. That’s a big one too. But Dave Grohl is definitely No. 1.”
While music is keeping him very busy, HARDY convincingly plays an institutionalized, straight-jacketed mental patient in the “Psycho” video, and says acting is something he would also like to pursue as time allows. “I was actually surprisingly comfortable in that video, which is kind of dark and disturbing,” he admits with a laugh. “I think the further away from myself that I can act, the more comfortable I am doing it. It’s really hard to act like yourself, in my opinion … But I love acting.”
In a milestone moment, HARDY will headline his first stadium gig Sept. 12 in Starkville, Mississippi, 45 minutes from his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi.
“It won’t really hit me until I get out there and it’s full of people hopefully,” he says. “It will be really emotional. There’s always a little part of me that’s like, ‘How did I get here?’ But I’m truly ready for this one and I’m truly looking forward to it.”
Sting will make his debut on the stage of the Bourbon & Beyond festival in Louisville, KY in September when the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and 17-time Grammy-winner slips into the headlining slot just vacated by Neil Young. The fest announced on Monday (July 15) that the former Police frontman and solo star will perform with his new power rock trio, STING 3.0, on Thursday night of the four-day fest slated to take place on the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville from September 19-22.
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The trio — which features guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas — will top night one of this year’s gathering, where they’ll be joined by Beck, Matchbox Twenty, Fleet Foxes, Maren Morris, Koe Wetzel, Lyle Lovett, the Wallflowers, Arlo Parks and many more.
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Young and longtime backing band Crazy Horse dropped off the roster for the sixth edition of B&B last month when the veteran group paused their Love Earth tour following an undisclosed illness within their touring party. In a statement, Young said the group’s first outing in a decade had been a great experience, but when a “couple of us got sick after Detroit’s Pine Knob, we had to stop,” it read. “We are still not fully recovered, so sadly our great tour will have a big unplanned break.” At press time no additional information was available on when, or if, the group will return to the road.
“While we will miss Neil Young at Bourbon this year, we’re excited to welcome a music legend, Sting, to the Bourbon & Beyond lineup. We’ve been trying to bring Sting to Bourbon for you since 2018 and it’s an incredible honor to have him join us for what will undoubtedly be our biggest and most unforgettable year ever,” said Danny Wimmer Presents founder Danny Wimmer in a statement about Sting replacing Young.
The second night of this year’s B&B will feature headliners Dave Matthews Band — along with Tedeschi Trucks Band, Black Pumas, the Head and the Heart, Melissa Etheridge and JJ Grey & Mofro — while Zach Bryan will do the honors on night three alongside Whiskey Myers, Cody Jinks, Young the Giant, Teddy Swims, Kaleo and more. Night four will be toplined by Tyler Childers, with My Morning Jacket, The National, The War on Drugs, Beach Boys, Mt. Joy and Sunny Day Real Estate performing as well.
Check out Sting announcing his addition to the B&B roster below.
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Nine Inch Nails and Dr. Martens are collaborating on a new collection in honor of the 30th anniversary of band’s multi-platinum sophomore album, The Downward Spiral.
First teased on July 8 and officially revealed on Monday (July 15), the upcoming footwear collection features artwork from the Grammy-nominated album and a design inspired by NIN’s unforgettable live performances.
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“This collaboration just makes so much sense,” John Crawford, the band’s creative director, said in a statement. “Not just because of the countless fans I’ve seen wearing Dr. Martens at NIN concerts over the years (myself included), but because NIN and Dr. Martens are both known for rejecting convention and expectation in favor of innovation, with their distinctive ability to transcend genres and styles in a way that unique to each person who experiences them. The goal was always to make this collection feel as authentically Nine Inch Nails as possible, and I believe through close collaboration with the team at Doc’s we’ve succeeded in that.”
Dr. Martens X Nine Inch Nails | The Downward Spiral Collection
Dr Martens
The collection includes a 10-eye 1490 boot that is inspired by the band’s cornstarch pre-show ritual. The lace-up boot is made from textured black and white Backhand leather and includes an ankle zipper on the side.
The eight-eye 1460 collab features artist Russell Mills’ album art as well as other references to the album. It also boasts a commando tread sole and multiple fastening options, including a branded ankle zipper.
For those looking for a shoe rather than a boot, the collection includes 1461 three-eyed piece that features The Downward Spiral‘s “crystal teeth” artwork and the name of the album printed in a subtle gloss.
Dr. Martens X Nine Inch Nails | The Downward Spiral Collection
Courtesy of Dr. Martens
The fourth piece of footwear in the collection is one fans won’t be able to purchase, though a few lucky ones will be gifted a pair. The 1490 10-eye boot features all-black leather that is embossed with the album’s artwork. According to the press release, the boot is “a fitting tribute to the unique bond shared by the band and those who have supported them for decades.”
Crawford participated in a Reddit AMA discussing the “inspiration and design choices behind the collaboration.” The AMA was held from 8 to 9 a.m. PT on July 15; fans were able to submit questions ahead of time for a chance to win one of five pairs of the fan-exclusive boot.
Dr. Martens X NIN Collaboration: Reddit AMA with John Crawfordbyu/Leviathant innin
The Nine Inch Nails x Dr. Martens collection drops on Friday, July 19, at drmartens.com and select retailers. Until then, fans can click here to sign up to be first in line to get notified when the collection arrives, and hit the Reddit AMA for more details on the giveaway.
The Downward Spiral, released in 1994, became a pivotal album for Trent Reznor, the band’s mastermind. The critically acclaimed LP debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and went on to sell nearly four million copies.
Atticus Ross, who joined NIN in the early 2000s and with Reznor has become an Oscar-winning scoring duo, teased that he was “excited” to work on a new album. “I think we’re in a place now where we kind of have an idea,” he told GQ in April, as Ross and Reznor discussed their new multimedia company — With Teeth — and hinted at upcoming projects. NIN’s music is currently featured in the new season of The Bear.
Harry Styles, Stevie Nicks and thousands of people at London’s BST Hyde Park gave the most touching birthday salute to the late Christine McVie Friday (July 12).
In honor of her friend — who would’ve turned 81 that day — the Fleetwood Mac frontwoman invited the “As It Was” pop star to join her on stage for an emotional duet of her 1975 masterpiece “Landslide.” “I asked Harry to do this,” she told the crowd at the festival. “It’s always heavy to ask someone to come and sing the song with you when you’re singing about your best friend that died so suddenly and so sadly.”
“What I want you to know is that Christine was Harry’s girl, she was my girl, she was your girl,” Nicks continued as Styles, wearing a songbird pin on his lapel, nodded solemnly. “She was from here. And she loved all of us. And today was her birthday.”
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The pair performed the ballad while making sustained eye contact, the “Edge of Seventeen” musician taking the lead as the One Direction alum sang harmony. “And if you see my reflection in the snow-covered hills,” their intertwining voices belted. “Well, the landslide will bring it down.”
The tribute comes over a year and a half after McVie died at the age of 71 in November 2022, having suffered a stroke with her secondary cause of death being listed as cancer. “She was truly one-of-a-kind, special and talented beyond measure,” wrote Fleetwood Mac in a joint statement at the time. “She was the best musician anyone could have in their band and the best friend anyone could have in their life. We were so lucky to have a life with her.”
Nicks has been open about her grief since losing her bandmate, telling Vulture last fall that she doesn’t anticipate full-band activities continuing in McVie’s absence. “She was like my soul mate, my musical soul mate, and my best friend that I spent more time with than any of my other best friends outside of Fleetwood Mac,” she told the publication. “Christine was my best friend… Who am I going to look over to on the right and have them not be there behind that Hammond organ? When she died, I figured we really can’t go any further with this. There’s no reason to.”
Styles also previously honored McVie on his own by singing “Songbird” at his December 2022 concert in Chile. He and Nicks have performed together several times in the past, including at his 2019 One Night Only show at Los Angeles’ The Forum.
Watch Styles and Nicks perform “Landslide” in McVie’s honor below.
Radiohead off-shoot group The Smile was forced to cancel its European tour last week after guitarist Jonny Greenwood was hospitalized for a serious infection. “A few days ago, Jonny became seriously ill from an infection that needed emergency hospital treatment, some of it in intensive care,” read a statement from the group on Friday about […]
Coldplay premiered a new song for some lucky fans in Italy.
The British band, led by charismatic frontman Chris Martin, debuted the unreleased track “Good Feelings” during its concert at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on Friday (July 12).
“We fell in love in the summer/I remember baby, we felt the sun shine through/And we were born for each other,” Martin sings on the upbeat tune. “All the good feelings, for one another/As we danced to the radio.”
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Coldplay fans have been familiar with “Good Feelings” for a couple years now. A Max Martin-produced version of the song was rumored to have been intended for the band’s 2021 album, Music of the Spheres, as a collaboration with the Chainsmokers, according to Rolling Stone.
The new rendition of “Good Feelings” will likely appear on Coldplay’s forthcoming tenth album, Moon Music, featuring vocals by Nigerian singer Ayra Starr.
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In June, Coldplay shared the new Martin-produced single “Feelslikeimfallinginlove,” which will appear on Moon Music. On it, Martin sings: “It feels like I’m falling in love/ You’re throwing me a lifeline/ Oh, not for the first time/ I know I’m not alone.”
Moon Music is scheduled for release on Oct. 4. Martin has been teasing the new set for more than a year. In January 2023, he told the Toronto City News that the band was nearing completion of what he then promised was the second LP in the Music of the Spheres series. He remarked “that won’t come out for a bit,” though he teased that the band “might” start rolling out some of the new songs live that year.
Coldplay’s current global tour is in support of Spheres, launching on March 18, 2022, in Costa Rica. The years-long trek is currently slated to wrap up with the second of two shows at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, on Nov. 16.
Watch Coldplay debut “Good Feelings” in Rome here.
Kid Rock is enraged over the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
On Saturday (July 13), the 53-year-old rocker — a staunch supporter of the former president — took to social media to share his anger over the shooting at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pa., where the presumptive GOP presidential nominee was struck in the ear and an audience member was killed.
“You f— with Trump, you f— with me,” Rock furiously yelled in a video posted on Instagram.
The short clip, which appears to have been recorded on a boat, finds the “We the People” singer-rapper shirtless and sporting black sunglasses with a “White Boy of the Year” baseball cap.
At Saturday’s Pennsylvania rally, held on the grounds of the Butler Farm Show, the shooter was immediately killed by the Secret Service after firing numerous shots from a nearby rooftop. The FBI has identified him as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. A motive has not yet been determined.
Following the incident, Trump wrote on Truth Social that a bullet struck the upper part of his ear. Videos and photos from the event show the Secret Service quickly escorting the bloodied former president from the stage while Trump pumped his fist to the crowd. One rally attendee was killed and two additional audience members are in critical condition.
In addition to his passionate video, Rock also shared a link on his X (formerly Twitter) account to a “President Trump Authorized” GoFundMe page dedicated to the victims of the Pennsylvania rally. The effort had raised nearly $900,000 as of Sunday morning.
Rock, whose real name is Bob Ritchie, has been a major supporter of Trump over the years. The rapper-turned-southern-rocker visited the former president at the White House in 2017 and he has golfed with Trump on numerous occasions. In 2022, Rock spoke to Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson about his past interactions with Trump. He also called Trump “one of my besties” in a 2024 profile in Rolling Stone.
Kid Rock wasn’t the only musical artist who reacted to the Trump assassination attempt. Other acts — including 50 Cent, John Rich, Scotty McCreery, Soulja Boy, Randy Houser, Kid Cudi and Lil Pump — also shared their thoughts about the shooting.
“Trump was shot!!!” Rich, of Big & Rich, alerted his X followers, later adding, “They couldn’t beat him in a fair contest, so they tried to kill him. BUT THEY MISSED.”
“Praying for our country rn,” said country singer and American Idol alum McCreery.
“I know the vibes,” noted 50 cent, posting a clip of his track “Many Men (Wish Death)” from Get Rich or Die Tryin’. “We are all in trouble now!”
See Kid Rock’s response to the Trump rally shooting on Instagram and X below.
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats’ “Heartless” ascends to No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated July 20. The song reigns as the Rateliff-fronted act’s first leader since “Survivor” ruled for six weeks in 2021. In between “Survivor” and “Heartless,” Rateliff & the Night Sweats reached Adult Alternative Airplay with two tracks, paced […]
Falling in Reverse and Jelly Roll’s “All My Life” rises to No. 1 from No. 4 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart dated July 20, becoming each act’s third leader on the list and completing a brisk five-week trip to the summit.
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Both acts wrap their quickest coronation on any Billboard airplay survey. Falling in Reverse’s two previous radio rulers, “Popular Monster” and “Zombified” (both on Mainstream Rock Airplay), took 16 weeks to No. 1 in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Jelly Roll soars past his prior fastest run to No. 1 on a radio chart, as “Need a Favor” needed 18 weeks to lead Mainstream Rock Airplay in 2023; he boasts three No. 1s on Mainstream Rock Airplay and four on Country Airplay.
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“All My Life” wraps the second-quickest flight to No. 1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay this year; Pearl Jam’s “Dark Matter” led in its fourth frame in March.
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Each of Jelly Roll’s entries has led Mainstream Rock Airplay, with “All My Life” and “Need a Favor” preceded by “Dead Man Walking,” a one-week No. 1 in 2022. He becomes the first act to send three initial entries to No. 1 since The Pretty Reckless, which racked up a streak of four out of the gate in 2014-16 via “Heaven Knows,” “Messed Up World,” “Follow Me Down” and “Take Me Down.”
Concurrently, “All My Life” jumps 8-5 on the all-rock-format, audience-based Rock & Alternative Airplay chart with 2.9 million impressions in the week ending July 11, up 8%, according to Luminate. It’s Falling in Reverse’s best-charting song on the survey, having surpassed the No. 11-peaking “Last Resort (Reimagined),” a cover of Papa Roach‘s original, last year. Jelly Roll’s best remains “Need a Favor,” which reached No. 3. Assisting the success of “All My Life” is support on alternative radio, as it’s currently bubbling under the Alternative Airplay survey.
On the most recently published multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (dated July 13, reflecting data in the week ending July 4), “All My Life” ranked at No. 2 after three weeks at No. 1. In addition to its radio airplay, it drew 3.2 million official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads.
“All My Life” previews Popular Monster, Falling in Reverse’s fifth studio album, due Aug. 16.
All Billboard charts dated July 20 will be updated on Billboard.com on Tuesday, July 16.
The story of Glass Animals’ 2020 slow-burning smash “Heat Waves” had a miraculous ending: The fourth single from the British band’s third album Dreamland landed at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 2022, following a record-breaking 59-week rise on the charts.
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The sleeper hit ruled the charts for 5 weeks, and following its 91st week, “Heat Waves” became the longest-charting song on the Hot 100 of all time, dethroning The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights”; it currently sits at three billion streams on Spotify alone. Since the millennium, only two U.K. groups have reached the Hot 100 summit: Coldplay and Glass Animals. The song’s origins are equally engrossing, proof that doors can almost slide shut as quickly as they open.
“Heat Waves”, which features Glass Animals’ trademark fusion of indie-rock, R&B and pop, was written and produced solely by frontman Dave Bayley. Its lyrics reference the death of a close friend and the pain when the subject’s birthday rolls around: “Sometimes, all I think about is you/ Late nights in the middle of June/ Heat waves been fakin’ me out”.
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“Even before I released it, I felt that “Heat Waves” was a bit too personal and too sad,” Bayley tells Billboard on Zoom from London. He was in the process of selling the song to another artist, though picked it back up when he learned the potential buyer wasn’t going to record it. “It’s really easy to write something personal and to give it to someone else as you have a little bit of distance from it and you can be more honest.”
He continues: “When [the song’s success] started happening, it felt weird. It was like walking outside naked – I felt exposed. It’s a personal song and it has an optimism, but hearing it out and about… it was haunting me in a way.”
The campaign around Dreamland, their first album released in conjunction with Polydor after years on indie label Wolfe Tone, was equally disorientating. Bayley, who grew up in the U.S. until he was 12, built a nostalgic mood board inspired by his ‘90s childhood memories for the autobiographical songs: NBC’s hit sitcom Friends, early internet communities and the dominance of Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. By the time Dreamland was released in August 2020, the world was deep in lockdown, the online and IRL worlds one blurry mess. We were back online and reliving Jordan’s prowess through ESPN’s documentary The Last Dance.
Glass Animals’ new record I Love You So F***ing Much, due July 19, is informed by this “head f–k” period. Bayley sought to juxtapose the personal songwriting with existential sonics, and sought inspiration in the cosmos. The LP’s artwork – a close-up of Bayley’s eyes surrounded by pitch-black nothingness – presents either an intimate message from the outer reaches of humanity, or, depending on your viewpoint, a detached, lost soul searching for salvation.
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The Oxford band – completed by Drew MacFarlane (guitar), Edmund Irwin-Singer (bass) and Joe Seaward (drums) – had flirted with commercial and critical success in the past. “Gooey,” from the group’s 2014 debut Zaba, was certified two-times platinum by the RIAA, and sophomore record How To Be A Human Being was nominated for the U.K.’s prestigious Mercury Prize in 2017. Along the way, the group collaborated with hip-hop heavyweights like Denzel Curry and Joey Bada$$, with the material charting globally in Australia, Canada and the U.S.
In 2018, the band cancelled a string of live dates when Seaward was hit by a lorry while cycling in Dublin; he suffered a broken leg, fractured skull and neurological injuries. Speaking to NME in 2020, Bayley said that Seaward returning to the stage “felt like a miracle”.
Months after its first shows back with Seaward, however, the band was pulled off the road due to the developing COVID pandemic. It eventually began booking shows again in 2021 – including a performance at the Billboard Music Awards – but the experience of success still felt at an arm’s reach. The band kept its own touring bubble and shunned parties to avoid scuppering any live dates with a positive test.
“It was a very strange time. We were watching everything happen from a distance and feeling quite detached from it,” Bayley says. “We would see Instagram stories of people dancing in the park to [“Heat Waves”], which was wonderful… but there was also a disconnect.”
In 2022, Glass Animals was nominated for best new artist at the Grammys (ultimately losing to Olivia Rodrigo) just as “Heat Waves” was peaking at No.1. In the days leading up to the April 4 event, though, Bayley returned a positive test and had to miss the ceremony, the biggest dip on the most bizarre of roller coasters.
“It might sound melodramatic, but I had a lot pinned on going to that and absorbing the moment,” Bayley says. “It felt like a unifying opportunity for our fans, and a chance to experience everything that had happened in the real world. It would have been a tangible thing, and it didn’t happen. That spun me out a bit.”
To counteract these missed opportunities, Bayley put himself into situations where he thought he ought to be: at parties, socialising and in the studio with external writers and producers. He gained writing and production credits on Florence + The Machine’s 2023 LP Dance Fever alongside Jack Antonoff, including on lead single “My Love”.
But it was due to another positive COVID test a year later that forced Bayley to quarantine for a fortnight in a rented AirBnB in Los Angeles. He turned to his pen, and the songs came fast in a fit of inspiration. “I was in this massive doom hole and feeling s–t about everything. I was trying to make sense of it all and the writing felt good,” he says. The uncertainty and unrealness of the era eventually became the motor: “That chaos is actually really exciting and beautiful – there’s sadness, hate, happiness and love, and you need all of them in your life.”
He paired the intimacy with the expanse of space, building a “retro futuristic” recording studio in London, kitting it out with gear from the 1950s and ‘60s to give the electronics an appropriate warmth. He gleefully reels of the disparate sonic inspirations on his personal “S–t I Like” playlist, including Throbbing Gristle, Suicide, My Bloody Valentine, Frankie Valli and British electronic pioneer Delia Derbyshire.
This grandeur and ambition collides with yearning confessions on their new album. “ICMYFILA” – short for “I Can’t Make You Fall In Love Again” – sings of someone who “walked out of my life” without a proper farewell, the chiming synths behind it reminiscent of Hans Zimmer’s score for Christopher Nolan’s space epic Interstellar. On “White Roses”, Bayley’s bouncing vocals meet the booming rap-inspired beat behind it: “I’ll just be the ghost on photos on your phone”, he warns.
It all makes for a fitting coda to a period of such confusion and chaos, a band caught up in the dizzying nature of success. “There was a huge sense of perspective and questions and it led to this existential theme to the record,” Bayley says. “It doesn’t have a whole lot of answers, other than that it’s OK to be lost and not really understanding what’s going on.”
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But could history be about to repeat itself? “Take a Slice”, an album track from 2016’s How To Be a Human Being, is currently surging up the Shazam charts and streams of the song are spiking on DSPs. The song has reached No. 22 on the TikTok Billboard Top 50 after the app’s users connected it to a scene from Pixar’s Inside Out 2, pairing its squealing guitar breakdown with frenetic imagery. Fresh releases and catalogue releases are now at the mercy of unpredictable users and growth, but Bayley is familiar with and accepting of the terrain now.
“It’s really beautiful [to have these moments], but you have to be careful as the temptation is to stop releasing bodies of work,” he says. “I love cohesive bodies of work where the end result is greater than the sum of its parts, but that can get lost if you start thinking too much and chasing virality.”
As “Heat Waves” – a paean to a lost friend – proves, the conviction of the message is what remains.
“A lot of these platforms are great, but eventually there’ll be a new one and something different and what matters is the song,” he says as a smile spreads across his face. “The thing that’s proven itself over and over again is that if you write something that is meaningful and honest, it hopefully stands the test of time.”