An Interview With The Florida-Based Alt-Rck Band, GLASS HOUSE POINT!

Meet the Florida-based alternative rock band Glass House Point! Last Monday on May 14th, they released their third EP Verglas.

Motivated by introspection, surrealism, and ephemerality, Glass House Point couples alt-rock roots with genre-bending production textures to create a sound that is authentically their own. The group has worked relentlessly since 2013, cutting their teeth in the Florida music scene and earning a reputation for their high energy live shows. The band’s accomplishments include extensive US touring and the release of their third EP, which was produced by Aaron Marsh (of Copeland)

Connect With Glass House Point Here: WEBSITE

Learn more about Glass House Point in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time! So first things first, how did you all start this band? What made you all think that you could work together? How difficult was it to come up with a band name that you all agreed on?

We all met in highschool and started to develop strong friendships before ever starting the band. At the time, we weren’t anywhere near what you’d call proficient musicians — but nonetheless our interest in playing music was strong. There was a talent showcase at our school, and that’s what gave us the motivation to actually come together and start playing with one another.

As for our band’s name, Glass House Point, we stumbled across it while pressing the “random article” button on Wikipedia and the name just stuck.

Let’s talk about your newest EP Verglas which was just released last month. What was it like putting this collection together? Did anything surprise you about the overall process?

Pretty much every aspect of writing and recording Verglas was surprising in that it was a huge learning process for us that extended over nearly 3 years. This record really represents the changes our band has gone through from our days of heavy touring back in 2017 up to the pandemic. There were originally supposed to be 2 more songs on this record, but by the time those were written and recorded, they sounded like songs from a different and new era of our band. In retrospect, it’s surprising that the songs on Verglas really encapsulate the changes our band has gone through, but strangely it doesn’t reflect our current artistic trajectory as much as you’d expect.

Can you talk about some of your favorite songs on “Verglas”? Where did the inspiration for them come from?

It’s a pretty short record, so each song holds a significant weight to us. But if I had to choose one, then I’d go with “Estuary.” It circumvents the normal song structures, and the lyrics on the verses are well knit — this song is just a bit different from the rest on the record. We’re proud of it. A lot of the inspiration for both “Estuary” and the record as a whole comes from surrealism and the work of David Lynch and others in that world.

How excited are you all about getting back out there to perform live? Do you have any future dates already scheduled yet?

We are very excited to get back to playing live — we were lucky enough to do an EP release show last month, and it was one of the most memorable shows we’ve ever played. The energy was insane.

Regarding future shows, we don’t have any big plans as of now but I wouldn’t be surprised if we pick up a few more Florida dates and start venturing into other Southeast states by the end of the year or early next year. Most of our focus right now is geared toward releasing new music. We still have a few songs up our sleeves to drop over the next few months.

What do you think makes for an ideal show for this band? What have been some of your favorite shows and venues?

A good venue and crowd that genuinely cares are probably the two most important factors for a good show. Some of our favorite venues to play at include Crowbar (Tampa), The Social (Orlando), The Vinyl (Atlanta), and The East Room (Nashville).

How do you think your hometown has influenced the sound and how you all carry yourselves in this group? If not, why do you think that is?

This is an awesome question because it’s not really something that we’ve ever given very much thought. I think our hometown has had a massive impact on our sound. When we first started out in the Tampa music scene, we were very much a folk-rock band. A lot of the local acts around us inspired us to pivot our sound to a more electronic and alt-rock style, and as we experimented with different sounds we eventually found our own niche.

How would you say that this group has grown as musicians over the years? How has your sound matured and developed? What has remained the same?

As musicians, we tend to grow more and more every year. 8 years ago when we started the band, we could barely play 4 chord songs, and now most of our songs include challenging arrangements. We’ve also transitioned from a completely folk-rock sound to a new hybrid alternative sound with driving guitars and tons of synth layers.

I think the main thing that has remained the same is the song writing approach. At the core of our songs, we try to make sure the song writing is really strong. Our songs still have that singer-songwriter lyrical and conceptual value to them.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere? With all the negativity out there today, what else in life truly makes you all happy?

I’m sure we all have different answers for this one, but for me I feel most fulfilled playing live. It’s always been what’s motivated me to do music. When I write songs, it’s always with the end performance in mind. Playing our songs live is when the songs really come to life and when the art is in its most ideal position to have an impact on someone.

As far as being happy, I think that really comes down to fulfillment. If you are fulfilled then you are happy. It’s something everyone struggles with, but for us we all tend to gravitate towards projects that will fulfill us and motivate us to grow and press forward. This band is one of those projects, but outside of that each one of us works in creative fields and have other projects to keep us inspired and give us purpose.

With all the different social media platforms out there, how do you balance it all? How do you think that social media has impacted this band? How often are you all on your different sites interacting with fans? How have you been able to utilize them through the years? Which of you handles them mostly?

We are pretty terrible at social media honestly. Interacting with our fans and supporters is easy, but when it comes to consistently posting stuff it’s never been our main focus. For us, we generally get caught up in making music, practicing, and playing shows, and we really only jump on social media when we have to. I think going forward, we are going to try to show more “behind the scenes” content and just keep our socials more raw.

What musicians have really been inspiring you all since you first started making music? Who would you all love to work with in the future?

Radiohead, Local Natives, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye, Bombay Bicycle Club, Warpaint… the list is pretty much endless. We’d love to work with any of these artists in the future.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

We don’t really have any expectation as to what our listeners should take away from our music. Our songs may mean something specific to us, but ultimately everyone always has a different listening experience. We just hope that our music can resonate with people on an intuitive level, and that our music can stimulate deep experiences and thoughts for our audience.