Kids in Glass Houses are a Welsh
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band from
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. The band's name was inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from the
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles "
Give Me What I Want" and "
Saturday
Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day's na ...
" off their debut album ''
Smart Casual
Smart casual is an ambiguously defined Western dress code that is generally considered casual wear but with smart (in the sense of "well dressed") components of a proper lounge suit from traditional informal wear. For men, this interpretati ...
'' in 2008. The band released their second album ''
Dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
* Dust: a genera ...
'' in early 2010, releasing four singles, most notably "
Matters at All". The band's third album, ''
In Gold Blood
''In Gold Blood'' is the third studio album from Welsh alternative rock band Kids in Glass Houses, released on 15 August 2011 through Roadrunner Records. Kids in Glass houses released the first single off the album, "Gold Blood" on 5 June.
Re ...
'', was released on 15 August 2011. Their fourth album, ''Peace'', was released on 30 September 2013.
History
''Beginnings'' (2003–2007)
The quintet had a series of support slots during late 2006 and early 2007, playing alongside
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike ...
,
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Thirty Seconds to Mars (commonly stylized as 30 Seconds to Mars) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of brothers Jared Leto (lead vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards) and Shannon Leto (drums, pe ...
,
Hundred Reasons
Hundred Reasons are an English alternative rock band from Aldershot, Hampshire, and Teddington, South West London, formed in 1999. The band consists of Colin Doran (vocals), Larry Hibbitt (guitar, vocals), Andy Gilmour (bass) and Andy Bews (drum ...
,
Manic Street Preachers
Manic Street Preachers, also known simply as the Manics, are a Welsh Rock music, rock band formed in Blackwood, Caerphilly, Blackwood in 1986. The band consists of cousins James Dean Bradfield (lead vocals, lead guitar) and Sean Moore (musician ...
and
The Goo Goo Dolls
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
and
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
In the band's early stages, they also shared the stage with the likes of
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smith ...
and
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah, that formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalist Bert McCracken, bassist Jeph Howard, drummer Dan Whitesides, and guitarist Joey Bradford. Former members include Quinn Allman, Branden Stei ...
on the
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos (or "TOC") was a live music tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with his friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour catered to fans of ...
2005 UK tour in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
. They released their debut full-length EP ''
E-Pocalypse!'' on 9 October 2006.
During their time as an unsigned band, the band garnered a rare and unprecedented amount of press and support from rock media, including ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
'' and ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' as well as
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
and
XFM. In a television interview Lostprophets vocalist
Ian Watkins claimed that "relatively unknown bands such as Kids in Glass Houses are a lot better than a lot of known bands out there."
In August 2007, the band were nominated for Best British Newcomer at the
Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards are an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''Kerrang!'' and focusing primarily on rock music. The annual awards features performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards of mo ...
, where the group were beaten to the award by
Gallows
A gallows (or scaffold) is a frame or elevated beam, typically wooden, from which objects can be suspended (i.e., hung) or "weighed". Gallows were thus widely used to suspend public weighing scales for large and heavy objects such as sacks ...
. Despite Kids in Glass Houses' disappointment at not winning, fellow countrymen
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike ...
brought the band up on stage with them to claim their own award. During the run up to the awards, Kids in Glass Houses played a special show, titled The Day of Rock, inside
Zavvi
Zavvi is an online retailer of entertainment products, including Blu-rays, collectables, homeware and toys. Originally a physical retailer, the brand has been online only since it was bought from administration by The Hut Group in 2009.
History ...
on Oxford Street, London, alongside
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari (stylised as enter: shikari and occasionally as ΣΠΤΣ℞ SΗΦΚ∆℞Φ) are a British rock band formed in St Albans, Hertfordshire, England in 1999 by bassist Chris Batten, lead vocalist and keyboardist Rou Reynolds, and drum ...
,
Fightstar
Fightstar are a British rock band from London that formed in 2003. The band is composed of lead vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist Charlie Simpson, guitarist and co-vocalist Alex Westaway, bassist Dan Haigh and drummer Omar Abidi. Generally c ...
,
The Answer and
Turisas
Turisas is a Finnish metal band from Hämeenlinna. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström, and named after an ancient Finnish god of war.
Turisas are a folk metal band, incorporating elements of power metal and symp ...
.
During October 2007, the band completed a 16 date headline tour of the UK supported by London's Tonight Is Goodbye (now Futures) and friends of the bands rotating on the tour – Saidmike (now Straight Lines) and The New 1920. Following that they supported fellow Welshmen
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smith ...
, on their December 2007 UK tour.
''Smart Casual'' (2008)
They signed to
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label focused on heavy metal and hard rock bands. Founded in the Netherlands in 1980, it is now a division of Warner Music Group and is based in New York City.
History
The label was launched in 1980 in t ...
on 8 December 2007, shortly before going on stage to support
Funeral For A Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smith ...
. Between the October and December tours, the band recorded their debut album at Long Wave Studios with Romesh Dodangoda, who also produced the band's previous EP. During a studio session, the band recorded a live version of
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential i ...
's "
Ry Ry's Song".
The band released "
Easy Tiger
''Easy Tiger'' is the ninth studio album by Ryan Adams, released on June 26, 2007, on the Lost Highway label. Although the album is attributed solely to Adams, ''Easy Tiger'' features The Cardinals as his backing band, with Adams stating: "The o ...
" as their first single on 10 March 2008. The video received considerable rotation on music channels, as well as entering the
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
Top 10 Overdrive upon the first week of its release.
The band released their debut album, entitled ''
Smart Casual
Smart casual is an ambiguously defined Western dress code that is generally considered casual wear but with smart (in the sense of "well dressed") components of a proper lounge suit from traditional informal wear. For men, this interpretati ...
'', on 26 May 2008. The album features re-recordings of three songs from ''E-Pocalypse!''. Prior to this, the single "
Give Me What I Want" (a re-recording of the track "
Me Me Me") was released on 19 May 2008.
On 21 May 2008, the band embarked on a headline tour to promote ''Smart Casual'' which finished with a performance at
Astoria 2
The Astoria 2, subsequently known as the LA2 then the Mean Fiddler, was a nightclub at 165 Charing Cross Road in London, England.
History
The venue was originally a ballroom in the basement of the London Astoria theatre and connected by stairw ...
on 5 June 2008. The support for the tour was provided by American punk rock band
Valencia
Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...
. This was followed by another headline tour during October, with support provided by This City and Save Your Breath, and a European tour with Zebrahead and
Simple Plan
Simple Plan is a Canadian rock band from Montreal, Quebec, formed in 1999. The band's lineup consists of Pierre Bouvier (lead vocals, studio bass guitar), Chuck Comeau (drums), Jeff Stinco (lead guitar), and Sébastien Lefebvre (rhythm guita ...
. The band were one of the support acts for
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, whil ...
and
New Found Glory
New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vocal ...
on the 2008 RIOT Tour – during which guitarist Iain Mahanty joined New Found Glory onstage to perform their song, "Hit Or Miss". They also supported
Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...
on their UK arena tour in March 2009.
In February 2009, website Punktastic.com released the video for "Dance All Night". The song was announced as a single but was not released.
''Dirt'' (2010)
Recording of the second album started on 1 August 2009, in Texas, USA.
The first single was released on 5 October titled "Young Blood (Let It Out)", being released as a digital download single. Their second single "
Matters At All" was released on 31 January 2010 and reached a peak of number 65 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and also giving the band their first number 1 single on the
UK Rock Chart
The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. The ...
. The band toured in February and March providing support for
Lostprophets
Lostprophets (stylised as lostprophets) were a Welsh rock band from Pontypridd, formed in 1997 by singer and lyricist Ian Watkins and guitarist Lee Gaze. The band was founded after their former band Fleshbind broke up. They later recruited Mike ...
.
''
Dirt
Dirt is an unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin, or possessions. In such cases, they are said to become dirty.
Common types of dirt include:
* Debris: scattered pieces of waste or remains
* Dust: a genera ...
'' was released on 29 March 2010. The digital special edition includes three bonus tracks: "Believer", "Reputation" and "When The World Comes Down".
On 2 May 2010, they embarked on their headline tour starting in Newcastle and finishing in Exeter on 14 May. On 23 May they played the In New Music We Trust stage at the
Radio 1 Big Weekend in Bangor, North Wales. They were joined on stage by
Frankie Sandford
Francesca Bridge ( Sandford, born 14 January 1989) is an English singer, formerly a member of S Club Juniors and a member of girl group The Saturdays. She is signed to Fascination and Polydor labels. Bridge began her career when she auditioned f ...
for "Undercover Lover" and Dev from Radio One for a cover version of "
Jump
Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory.
Jump or Jumping also may refer to:
Places
* Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...
". On 5 June 2010, the band were one of three supporting acts for
Stereophonics
Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in the Cynon Valley, Wales. The band consists of Kelly Jones (lead vocals, lead guitar, keyboards), Richard Jones (bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocals), Adam Zind ...
at their gig at the Cardiff City Stadium.
They released the third single from album ''Dirt'', "
Undercover Lover", on 13 June, which featured
Frankie Sandford
Francesca Bridge ( Sandford, born 14 January 1989) is an English singer, formerly a member of S Club Juniors and a member of girl group The Saturdays. She is signed to Fascination and Polydor labels. Bridge began her career when she auditioned f ...
on guest vocals from
The Saturdays
The Saturdays were a British-Irish girl group based in London, England. The group formed during the summer of 2007 and have been on hiatus since 2014. The lineup consists of Frankie Bridge, Una Healy, Rochelle Humes, Mollie King, and Vanessa Wh ...
. The single proved successful when it reached number 62 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, the highest placement of a Kids in Glass Houses' single besides "
Give Me What I Want".
The band played June
Reading & Leeds Festival 2010 on the
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
/
Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
Stage. The band toured the UK in November 2010 with
Boys like girls
Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album which went on to sell over 700,000 albums in the United States earning a ...
and
You And What Army for the Dirt Tour Part II.
Kids in Glass Houses also supported Stereophonics at Belsonic, a music festival in Custom House Square, Belfast.
''In Gold Blood'' (2011–2012)
In
Kerrang! Magazine
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-o ...
, Aled Phillips was quoted as saying the band are going in a "radically different direction". He added "It'll be a concept record, a big, grown-up rock record. It's going to document a journey. I don't want to give too much away, but it's looking to be our most 'mature' album." Recording for the album began in March with producer
Jason Perry. Frontman Aled Phillips also announced on his Twitter account that Kids in Glass Houses will be touring in September/October. Aled later announced that the album would be released in late summer.
On 23 May 2011 the band announced that the title of their third studio album would be '
In Gold Blood
''In Gold Blood'' is the third studio album from Welsh alternative rock band Kids in Glass Houses, released on 15 August 2011 through Roadrunner Records. Kids in Glass houses released the first single off the album, "Gold Blood" on 5 June.
Re ...
'. It was released on 15 August. The title track 'Gold Blood' was released as a free download on 23 May, for a number of 4 days.
On 9 July Kids in Glass Houses performed at
Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It ...
in
Knebworth
Knebworth is a village and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Hert ...
on the saturn stage, they debuted two songs from 'In Gold Blood', with both the title track and new single 'Animals' played as part of the set. The band was also noted for playing in costume for the first time, theming around
mad max
''Mad Max'' is an Australian post-apocalyptic Action film, action film series and media franchise created by George Miller (filmmaker), George Miller and Byron Kennedy. It began in 1979 with ''Mad Max (film), Mad Max'', and was followed by thre ...
and American revolutionary attire.
In March 2011 the band released a fourth single from the album on 15 March: ''Diamond Days''. The release accompanied and promoted their support tour with
You Me at Six
You Me at Six are an English rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. The band consists of lead singer Josh Franceschi, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Daniel Flint. Formed in 2004, the name for the group origin ...
. This tour ranged through March and April 2011. Iain Mahanty has stated that they had planned and have always wanted to do a tour with You Me at Six "We've talked about doing this for a few years, and for one reason or another, it never came to fruition. We're very excited, then, to finally be able to tour the UK with our good friends in You Me at Six".
Kids in Glass Houses performed as one of the headlining acts on the main stage at
Bingley Music Live
Bingley Music Live was an annual music festival held in Myrtle Park, Bingley, West Yorkshire, England. The festival featured a range of musical genres including rock, alternative rock, indie rock and pop music. Organised by City of Bradford Coun ...
, on Friday 31 August 2012.
''Peace'' and break-up (2013–14)
As of March 2013 Kids in Glass Houses were in a studio in Lincoln recording their fourth album, Peace. Recording of the album was completed towards the end of March. The first single, "Drive", was released on 21 July 2013. The album was released on 30 September 2013.
On 26 February 2014, the band announced their break-up and a farewell tour to commence 5 October playing all across the UK. The band released a statement on their Facebook page, thanking supporters and haters alike, before revealing the tour dates.
Kids in Glass Houses played their final show on 31 October 2014 in the Great Hall, Cardiff to a capacity crowd.
Drummer Phillip Jenkins has since become the Touring Drummer for Welsh/American Alternative Rock Band,
No Devotion
No Devotion are a Welsh-American rock band formed in Pontypridd and Cardiff in 2014. The group is currently composed of American vocalist Geoff Rickly of the band Thursday, along with Stu Richardson and Lee Gaze, former members of the Welsh ba ...
, after former drummer
Luke Johnson departed.
Andrew "Shay" Sheehy has announced he will perform with
A at
Download Festival
Download Festival is a British-created rock festival created by Terrance Gough, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 201 ...
. Iain Mahanty has moved into film/TV scoring, announcing that he will compose the
original soundtrack
A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of ...
for upcoming
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
British horror film
Strangers Within.
Reunion (2022-)
On August 30th 2022 it was announced that the band would be reuniting to perform 2 sets at Slam Dunk Festival 2023 celebrating 15 years of 'Smart Casual'.
Members
* Aled Phillips – lead vocals
* Joel Fisher – rhythm guitar
* Iain Mahanty – lead guitar
* Andrew "Shay" Sheehy – bass guitar
* Philip Jenkins – drums & percussion
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
Videos
* 2008 – Easy Tiger
* 2008 – Saturday
* 2008 – Give Me What I Want
* 2008 – Dance All Night
* 2008 – FISTICUFFS
* 2009 – Young Blood (Let It Out)
* 2009 – Matters at All
* 2010 – Undercover Lover
* 2010 – The Best Is Yet To Come
* 2011 – Animals
* 2011 – Not in This World
* 2011 – Diamond Days
* 2012 – Secret Santa
* 2013 – Drive
* 2013 – Peace
EPs
* ''The Things Bricks Say (When Your Back Is Turned)'' – 2004
Written by Lloyd Breeze and Earl Phillips
* ''Trust Issues With Magicians'' – 2005
* ''E-Pocalypse!'' – 2006
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kids in Glass Houses
Musical groups established in 2003
Musical quintets
Roadrunner Records artists
Warner Music Group artists
British pop punk groups
Welsh rock music groups
British indie rock groups