Q&a / Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley talks Hong Kong debut at Clockenflap, where the whole pineapple thing comes from, and the near-fatal accident that almost ended the band
Glass Animals’ lead singer speaks candidly with Style about the band’s growing fame, the accident that nearly ended drummer Joe Seaward’s life, and his dining tour of Hong Kong
During the summer of 2020, as most of us self-isolated at home at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, one sleeper hit sneaked its way onto the radio airwaves before eventually making its Billboard Hot 100 chart debut in January 2021. In late August to early September of that year, that tune, “Heat Waves”, would become virtually ubiquitous thanks to TikTok, catapulting British indie rock band Glass Animals to new heights of social media fame.
The song’s popular refrain, “late nights in the middle of June”, served as the soundtrack for everything from influencer Instagram reels to an episode of the hit Netflix show, Never Have I Ever. All of this made “Heat Waves” Glass Animals’ biggest hit to date, spending 91 weeks on the Hot 100 and breaking multiple Billboard records. It was also one of their most personal tracks, prompted by the passing of a close friend of lead singer Dave Bayley, whose birthday was in June.
But long before “Heat Waves” took over the world, Glass Animals had won over a loyal legion of fans with catchy tunes and equally addictive, if significantly less serious, lyrics. There’s “pineapples in my head”, a phrase off Glass Animals’ 2016 song “Pork Soda”, and “peanut butter vibes”, a line from the band’s first hit, “Gooey”, released in 2014 – both of which have become commonplace chants at the band’s concerts.
Hong Kong fans finally got to experience that for themselves earlier this month when the band made their debut performance in the city on the Clockenflap main stage. Ahead of the show, we caught up with Bayley to talk more about Glass Animals’ first-ever concert in Hong Kong, their latest album I Love You So F***ing Much, and of course, how the band’s obsession with pineapple, of all fruits, came to be.
How does it feel to be visiting Hong Kong for the very first time? What have you been up to when you’re not rehearsing?
I’ve been wanting to come for a long time. It’s amazing. I had a day off yesterday, so I went on a big old walk. It was beautiful; I saw amazing colours, amazing people, amazing food everywhere. I need to come back for more time, to go outside the city, to see the nature. But so far it’s blown me away.
It’s been delicious: the first day I tried the roast goose that’s everywhere. And then I’ve been to a few dumpling places that were all amazing – I’m a big fan of dumplings. I’ve been to a few noodle places that were really good; I eat a lot! I’ve had a lot of dumplings and char siu. It’s been an amazing taste of the city, and I feel like I need to get in deep, dig my teeth [in]. It’s got a really nice soul. A lot of cities don’t have that.