In Conversation With: Glass Peaks
Glass Peaks have just released another dose of their dark-indie vibes with new single ‘Asbestos’, their first single to be released via These Bloody Thieves Records. The band took a moment to talk to us about the track, and their recent trip to Abbey Road Studios.
Your track Asbestos is out now, can you tell us what is the track about? And what is the meaning behind the title?
Alf: I was overseeing an Asbestos management survey at work one day when I came up with the title. Asbestos is obviously an extremely hazardous substance/and can lay dormant in your system before any of its effects on your body become noticeable. I thought there was something quite dark about that and it got me thinking about the lyrics I had originally been writing for this track and it started to take on a whole different meaning. Asbestos is an anti-love song, really. It's about second guessing yourself in relationships and having to make difficult decisions. It's something that I feel a lot of people can relate to.
Where was the track recorded?
Jake: We recorded and mixed Asbestos in our home town that is Bexley with our super talented friend Erim. He has a home studio around the corner from where we rehearse which is incredibly convenient for us. It's also great to have a great friend working on our music with us.
You recently did a session at Abbey Road Studios, how did that come about? Any behind the scenes stories?
Alf: Jake & I used to work at a music museum in the O2 years and years ago. Whilst working there we met a guy called Liam Narrie who was in a great band called Jakil. Since Jakil disbanded, he started producing and ended up getting a place on a course at the Abbey Road Institute. He kindly invited us down to record a session at the studios which was an incredible experience. Just to be in that building was insane. The history of the place is astounding, of course. We actually bumped into Dizzee Rascal after the session and had a really nice chat with him, he's an absolute gent who offered us some very insightful advice. It was super motivational, actually!
Jake: Abbey Road honestly was a dream come true. You feel the magic in that building as soon as you walk in. I definitely took the opportunity to sneak into all the studios that The Beatles & Pink Floyd recorded in. Dizzie was an absolute gentleman. His advice still rings in my brain daily.
When people listen to your new track, what sort of impact do you hope it has on them?
Alf: As with any song we put out, I hope people can resonate with it and that it makes them feel something. The impact of certain music at different times in my life has been mad, and I'm a sucker for listening to music that fits my mood; so I hope people do that with this. Not that I want anyone to feel sad or anything, but sometimes there's something beautiful about listening to a song that directly speaks to how you're feeling. Sometimes that rush of emotion can be very necessary - I listened to Thom Yorke's 'Dawn Chorus' from ANIMA on a long drive after a particularly difficult day recently and it just put so much into perspective for me... that's what I hope this song can do for people.
Jake: I hope people hear and feel how we feel when listening to it. Its a bit of a bop along tune with some grit to it. Learn the words and come sing it at a show near you.
Grant: I hope people have a completely unique reaction to this one. We always strive to create unique music and I hope people experience new emotions while listening and taking it in.
Along with the track, you have also announced your next headline show at St Pancras Old Church, what made you pick that venue?
Alf: We chose St Pancras Old Church for our next London headline because it's such a beautiful space. We wanted to curate an evening of music in a stunning venue that was slightly different to anywhere we've played before. It'll also be our first London show since July of this year (2019), so we wanted to make a bit of a statement with it, you know? It would have been easy for us to just line up a headline at a venue we've already played and we know the vibe of. This felt like more of a challenge.
Jake: Just imagine that natural reverb...
Now the single is out, what are your plans for the next few months?
Alf: We're writing lots and we're back in the studio laying down new music, which you'll definitely be able to hear before the end of the year. We also have some more live dates to announce before the end of the year is up. It's important for us to be able to get these tracks out as we've been sat on some of them for a little while and we're raring to get them all out. I think we're all pretty excited about the latter half of this year.
Jake: write, record, eat, sleep, repeat. To keep delivering the world work we are proud of.
