We’ve been fans of Glass Animals for a while now, featuring their track “Black Mambo” on Vogue Radio last year, and tipping them as a favorite at this year’s SXSW. On April 8, the still newish British indie quartet will release its latest, an EP on Paul Epworth’s new record label in the U.K. (the superstar producer behind Adele, Florence and the Machine, Bloc Party, Bruno Mars, Crystal Castles, Kate Nash, the Rapture . . . the list goes on) and Harvest Records in the U.S. The Gooey EP is named after the title song and includes a number of remixes from prestigious DJs including Kingdom. But hidden in their midst is the song we are premiering here. Featuring vocals from the Brooklyn-based, airy and minimalist R&B-inflected singer Tei Shi, “Holiest” is actually a duet between her and Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley.
“I thought it would be fun to play the character that she’s addressing in her part so that our two voices help tell the story from the different perspectives,” Bayley explains. “We originally wanted to work with Tei Shi because she has an amazing voice and this modern New York R&B thing. We sent her a couple beats we had lying around that we thought she could really add something to. And she sent back the great vocal you hear in the song about both loving and hating something all at the same time.”
Goey is out on April 8 and the band’s debut full-length album, ZABA, will be released on June 10 from Harvest Records.
Listen to the best music acts from SXSW.
Remember Vogue Radio? Glass Animals’s “Black Mambo” made an appearance. Listen to the playlist.