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Band Members
Aled Phillips
Joel Fisher
Iain Mahanty
Andrew Shay
Philip Jenkins
01/08/2009 Hevy Festival Folkstone http://festival.hevy.co.uk/tickets Buy Tickets
When frontman Aled Phillips formed Kids In Glass Houses in 2004, he'd have been the first to admit that it existed as little more than a hobby and was simply something that grew from the boredom of being a teenager in the tiny village of Penpedairheol, 20 miles from the Welsh capital Cardiff. The band, as the singer puts it, "played about twice a month and practiced about half that amount." Things started to change however, when a friend of Aled's, Philip Jenkins started drumming for the band and inspired a more dedicated attitude towards the ‘hobby'. Together, the band recorded their first two tracks in early 2005, ‘Flirting With Widows' and ‘Telenovela' on which Aled not only sang, but also played guitar.
The singer was relieved of his stand-in guitar duties shortly after, when guitarist Joel Fisher, who lived on the same road as Phillips and was a regular at the bands early shows, entered the six-string fold, alongside Aled Rees. Almost immediately after in November 2005, the group's burgeoning local popularity saw them win an online poll to open the 'Taste Of Chaos Festival' at Cardiff's International Arena, to an impressive and intimidating 7000 people. Despite ending the year on a massive high, impending university courses and other commitments threatened the future of the young band and saw bassist and founding member Earl Phillips leave the band for academic pursuits. Andrew Shay, who was now a free agent following the demise of his previous band (The Next Nine Years) replaced him and the newly cemented line-up eagerly began writing new material. The result of these writing sessions would be 2006's breakthrough five-track demo EP, ‘E-Pocalypse!'.
The process of writing the EP was relaxed and carried no real expectations. "We were essentially nobodies in the music scene, so it made no real difference to anyone," recalls the singer. "We just wanted to come out with the CD and sort of say, OK, here you go, deal with it. We had become increasingly and consciously distant from the sound coming out of South Wales at the time and we just wanted to write real songs that were a bit different to what had become the norm. Fun songs. Songs that we'd listen to and enjoy and that weren't predated or just lumped in to the swill and forgotten."
Collectively, the quintet had grown up listening to a cocktail of Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Indie and Metal. During their time in school, they championed bands such as Glassjaw and Lostprophets, admiring their tireless energy both onstage and off and their dogged determination and work ethic. However, it was the timeless songs of stalwart artists like Duran Duran, The Police, Michael Jackson, Prince, The Smiths and The Cure that played an integral and influential role in the bands creative development and provided an ambitious benchmark for the band to aspire to. The months that followed would see the band pour out four new songs in the form of ‘Me, Me, Me', ‘Easy Tiger', ‘Raise Hell' and ‘Historia'. Once recorded, the band knew they'd produced something pretty special, but were unsure how it would translate to an unsuspecting audience who had become increasingly accustomed to a tried and tested formula. Nor would they have guessed how many opportunities these songs would give them and just how far they would take them.
Fellow countrymen Lostprophets invited the band to open at some of their ‘Liberation Transmission' tour dates in July 2006 and again the five-piece found themselves playing to thousands of people at a time. Once home from their brief supporting stint, the band parted ways with guitarist Aled Rees and spent the next few months cashing in favours and borrowing band members from their local peers. One such person was close friend, Iain Mahanty, then of Dopamine, who filled in when the band headlined a sold-out Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff to celebrate the ‘release' of their EP. A night that Phillips remembers fondly, "It was a bit of a milestone for us. We thought we were the Rolling Stones for 40 minutes."
Over the next couple of months, the band took to playing everywhere and anywhere they could - a relentlessness that would reward the band with 1,500 sales of the EP by the years end. By October the group had started to gain the attention of record labels, managers, lawyers and booking agents and were promptly booked to play their first London show, coincidentally alongside another newcomer to the British underground, Gallows. The tiny show in Camden's Bar Monsta venue would see the band head back to the Valleys with a handful of business cards, bearing contact information for a whole host of big industry players. Having played the Bar Monsta show and a handful before it, Mahanty would leave Dopamine soon after and join the band full-time.
With interest from fans and the industry increasing at a very healthy rate, the band's EP was serviced to the UK's rock media and received glowing reviews, most notably a 4K review in Kerrang! magazine. "After that, we all had a bit of a ‘fuck me' moment," states the singer. "Things definitely changed. We started selling out shows, making some money and more and more doors began to open for us." In just the three months that remained of 2006, the band went on to play seven London shows and subsequently began 2007 with a manager and a booking agent to their name.
2007 would begin as 2006 ended - busy and on the road. The band embarked on their first proper tour of the UK in support of Hundred Reasons. The tour served as a fine appetizer of what was to come and a definite learning curve for the fledgling group. Kerrang! magazine ran an ‘Introducing' article on the band in early 2007, as well as declaring the band as one of ‘The 10 Hottest New Bands On The Planet'. "You really never forget the first time you see yourself in a magazine," Phillips comments. "I got up at about 7 in the morning to run out and get it. I haven't been up that early since," he laughs.
As Spring came to a close, the band had scaled the UK with 30 Seconds To Mars and The Blackout, headlined Klub Kerrang! at London's impressive Koko venue, as well as notching up an appearance on the ‘Give It A Name' festival bill and it's preceding ‘Give It A Name Introduces..' tour. With no real chance to catch their breath, the group found themselves on tour with the Manic Street Preachers and Goo Goo Dolls, as well as making appearances on the Full Ponty, Download and Hyde Park Calling festival bills, before beginning their first headline tour of the UK in June to predominantly sold out venues.
By the summer, the band found themselves on the receiving end of a Kerrang! award nomination for ‘Best New Band' and were on the Carling Festival bills in Reading and Leeds, performing what NME.com described as "nothing less than a total early afternoon victory," to capacity Carling Stage tents. Quite a feat for a band with just a five-track demo to their name. "I never in a million years thought that EP would take me to Earls Court, Donington, Reading and Leeds and allow me to sell out our first ever UK headline tour," adds Phillips.
When the band finished their October headline tour on Halloween at London's Islington Academy, the band proved they were worth the hype that had surrounded them in the previous twelve months, giving a stellar performance to a packed house, that included opening with a cover of Michael Jackson's classic ‘Thriller', complete with outfits and makeup. The next day, the band entered Long Wave Recording Studios in Cardiff, with Romesh Dodangoda at the helm, who had previously produced ‘E-Pocalypse!', to record their debut album.
Once recording was complete at the beginning of December, the quintet took to the road in support of Welsh natives, Funeral For A Friend. On the opening night of the tour, the band put a stop to months of talks and speculation by putting pen to paper with Roadrunner Records. As if it was written in the script all along, the tour would finish just days before Christmas at Cardiff's International Arena - a venue that the band had been dwarfed by just over two years earlier. This time around, the band were more than equal to the venues size, giving a sneak preview of material from their upcoming album and commanding the stage and audience with a conviction and confidence that belies their status as 'new kids on the block' and serves as a statement of intent for a year that is theirs for the taking.
Speaking about the forthcoming opus which they've entitled ‘Smart Casual', the singer reveals, "I've never been as proud of anything as I am of our album and what we've achieved. It was a labour of love and for all the drama, we got there in the end," he adds. "I absolutely cannot wait for people to hear it. I'm a bit nervous that they won't like it, but I think they will. Deep down. I hope so. They have awful taste in music if they don't," he concludes, tongue firmly in cheek.
The ‘Easy Tiger' single is released on 10th March, followed by ‘Me, Me, Me' on 12th May. Kids In Glass Houses' debut album, ‘Smart Casual' is set to hit stores two weeks later on 26th, through Roadrunner Records. 30/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY HEVY FEST KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have been confirmed to join Feeder, Ash, Gary Numan, Hundred Reasons, Attack! Attack!, Sonic Boom Six & In Case Of Fire ... 02/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES LIVE JD SET- CHANNEL 4 THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (03/04) During its six-year history, The JD Set has played host to artists such as The Wombats, Futureheads and Foals. This Friday, 3 April 2009 on ... 02/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY THE LIVERPOOL 02 ACADEMY The guys are set to headline an upcoming Puma Music show at the O2 Academy in Liverpool on the 30th April. The show is part ... 11/03/2009 - ROADRUNNER CD'S FOR ONLY £6.99 ON PLAY.COM If you head over to the PLAY website, you will find some of the best Roadrunner releases available on CD for the bargain price of ... 09/03/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES UPDATE US FROM THE ROAD On Friday (06/03), KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES played as main support to Fall Out Boy at London's O2 arena as part of the UK run ... 08/03/2009 - BECOME A ROADIE FOR KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES To coincide with KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' support tour with Fall Out Boy, Roadrunner have teamed with TUBEPOPPER.COM to co 04/03/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES ON COVER OF OURZONE MAGAZINE Kids In Glass Houses are gracing the cover of this month's Ourzone online magazine with a nice pre-tour Fall Out Boy feature. Make sure you ... 01/03/2009 - WIN KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TICKETS! Those crazy KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have teamed up with the Jack Daniels team to feature on the latest JD SET TOUR 2009 and YOU ... 25/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WARM UP IN SWANSEA Kids In Glass Houses are set to play an impromptu warm up show for their arena tour with Fall Out Boy which starts next week. They ... 16/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET REMIXED Head on down to Howard P. Sausages' myspace profile to listen to a bangin' electro remix of Kids In Glass Houses 'Give Me What I ... 06/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES STUDIO PICS POSTED KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are currently in the studio laying down some demos for their follow-up to last years debut album SMART CASUAL, which saw ... 28/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WIN PETA2 AWARD FOR BEST NEWCOMER Well, the full title of the award is MOST ANIMAL FRIENDLY BREAKTHROUGH INTERNATIONAL BAND, on account of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES being a) rad and ... 27/01/2009 - SEE KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORM IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE!! A few months ago, one lucky ROCK SOUND winner was the recipient of one hell of a prize!! They won KIDS IN GL 26/01/2009 - SLIPKNOT'S PAUL GRAY AND KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' ALED PHILIPS PAY TRIBUTE TO THE ASTORIA As you may know, London's legendary venue The Astoria has closed pending demolition to make way for the new cross-rail development. It will be mourned ... 22/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES CONFIRMED TO PLAY JD SET KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are confirmed to headline The JD Set at the Spring & Airbrake, Belfast on Friday 13 March 2009. To buy tickets ... 20/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO SUPPORT FALL OUT BOY South Wales quintet KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are excited to be able to announce that they will be the main support on the forthcoming Fall ... 15/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES IN THE RUNNING FOR XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD- VOTE NOW! XFM have opened up the voting in their New Music Awards for 2009 and KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have made the long list of debut ... 23/12/2008 - CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES AT THE BBC RADIO WALES STUDIO KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES popped into BBC Radio Wales the other day for a bit of a chat with Beth. Check out these killer pics ... 23/12/2008 - CHECK OUT ROCK-SOUND.NET FOR NEWS ON MACHINE HEAD, MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND KIGH ROCK-SOUND.NET have asked some of rocks biggest names who they think will be the big hitters next year, and in their two part special, they ... 23/12/2008 - TRIVIUM QUIZ AIRBOURNE Continuing our festive series of bands interviewing bands, check out the latest installment featuring AIRBOURNE answering questions 'randomly generated' by 04/03/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES ON COVER OF OURZONE MAGAZINE Kids In Glass Houses are gracing the cover of this month's Ourzone online magazine with a nice pre-tour Fall Out Boy feature. Make sure you ... 27/10/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORM 'PILLOW TALK' LIVE AT BBC RADIO NOTTINGHAM Last week, those of you who frquent BEBO will have seen a juicy little snippet of our fave boys from Wales KIDS I 16/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET REMIXED Head on down to Howard P. Sausages' myspace profile to listen to a bangin' electro remix of Kids In Glass Houses 'Give Me What I ... 15/01/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES IN THE RUNNING FOR XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD- VOTE NOW! XFM have opened up the voting in their New Music Awards for 2009 and KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have made the long list of debut ... 03/10/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES CONFIRM 3RD ATTICUS SIGNING KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have confirmed a third in-store signing as part of the upcoming 25/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WARM UP IN SWANSEA Kids In Glass Houses are set to play an impromptu warm up show for their arena tour with Fall Out Boy which starts next week. They ... 02/04/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES LIVE JD SET- CHANNEL 4 THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (03/04) During its six-year history, The JD Set has played host to artists such as The Wombats, Futureheads and Foals. This Friday, 3 April 2009 on ... 10/12/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES BLOG FOR NME KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are just finishing up their touring schedule for 2008, and in between finishing their Simple Plan support run and some dates ... 19/12/2008CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORMING FOR ROCK SOUND'S COMP WINNER A couple of months back, ROCK SOUND MAGAZINE ran a competition for people to win KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES p 23/12/2008TRIVIUM QUIZ AIRBOURNE Continuing our festive series of bands interviewing bands, check out the latest installment featuring AIRBOURNE answering questions 'randomly generated' by 13/08/2008CHECK OUT THE FILMING OF KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' VIDEO FOR 'SATURDAY' KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES released their single SATURDAY this week, and so we thought we would dig out the lil bits of footage of the ... 12/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT3 Here it is- the third and final part of the BEHIND THE SCENES OF SMART CASUAL series with KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES!!! Check it out ... 12/11/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET THE GIGGLES What do you get if you put two members of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES in front of a video camera to do a tour update, ... 23/12/2008CHECK OUT ROCK-SOUND.NET FOR NEWS ON MACHINE HEAD, MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND KIGH ROCK-SOUND.NET have asked some of rocks biggest names who they think will be the big hitters next year, and in their two part special, they ... 30/04/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY HEVY FEST KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have been confirmed to join Feeder, Ash, Gary Numan, Hundred Reasons, Attack! Attack!, Sonic Boom Six & In Case Of Fire ... 08/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT2 As promised, here is Part 2 of the Behind The Scenes look at the recording of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' luscious debut SMART CASUAL. Part ... 07/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT1 Back in May, just before the release of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' debut album SMART CASUAL, Kerrang! magazine gave you a look at what went ... 20/01/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO SUPPORT FALL OUT BOY South Wales quintet KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are excited to be able to announce that they will be the main support on the forthcoming Fall ... 06/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES STUDIO PICS POSTED KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are currently in the studio laying down some demos for their follow-up to last years debut album SMART CASUAL, which saw ... 23/12/2008CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES AT THE BBC RADIO WALES STUDIO KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES popped into BBC Radio Wales the other day for a bit of a chat with Beth. Check out these killer pics ... Fisticuffs Fisticuffs Saturday Saturday Smart Casual Smart Casual Give Me What I Want Give Me What I Want Easy Tiger Easy Tiger BBC Radio Wales - December 17th '08 The guys chat to Beth... BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth In The Studio Phil- not just a drummer and a pretty face... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Aled embraces the fro... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Tea time for Shay and Joel KIGH In the studio Jan 09 It's cold in Wales. Joel and Iain... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Iain- such a charmer... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Producer Romesh at the desk... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Promo Rock Sound Magazine 'Live At Home' Gig Rock Sound competition winner Bianca gets the gig of a lifetime - 13th December 2008 Live Shots ALED- JD SET 2009 29th October 2008, Northampton Roadmenders by David Jackson 29th October 2008, Northampton Roadmenders by David Jackson Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Source: www.nme.com T in the Park 2008 Source: www.nme.com T in the Park 2008 Other On The Road- October 2008 One The Road- October 2008 On The Road- October 2008 CARDIFF INSTORE (26/05) On the day of release of debut album SMART CASUAL, Kids In Glass Houses perform and sign copies in their local HMV in their hometown of Cardiff, Wales. Press Signings Atticus Tour NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Live at Kerrang! Radio 5th September 2008, Kerrang! Studios, Birmingham Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008
The singer was relieved of his stand-in guitar duties shortly after, when guitarist Joel Fisher, who lived on the same road as Phillips and was a regular at the bands early shows, entered the six-string fold, alongside Aled Rees. Almost immediately after in November 2005, the group's burgeoning local popularity saw them win an online poll to open the 'Taste Of Chaos Festival' at Cardiff's International Arena, to an impressive and intimidating 7000 people. Despite ending the year on a massive high, impending university courses and other commitments threatened the future of the young band and saw bassist and founding member Earl Phillips leave the band for academic pursuits. Andrew Shay, who was now a free agent following the demise of his previous band (The Next Nine Years) replaced him and the newly cemented line-up eagerly began writing new material. The result of these writing sessions would be 2006's breakthrough five-track demo EP, ‘E-Pocalypse!'.
The process of writing the EP was relaxed and carried no real expectations. "We were essentially nobodies in the music scene, so it made no real difference to anyone," recalls the singer. "We just wanted to come out with the CD and sort of say, OK, here you go, deal with it. We had become increasingly and consciously distant from the sound coming out of South Wales at the time and we just wanted to write real songs that were a bit different to what had become the norm. Fun songs. Songs that we'd listen to and enjoy and that weren't predated or just lumped in to the swill and forgotten."
Collectively, the quintet had grown up listening to a cocktail of Rock, Punk, Hardcore, Indie and Metal. During their time in school, they championed bands such as Glassjaw and Lostprophets, admiring their tireless energy both onstage and off and their dogged determination and work ethic. However, it was the timeless songs of stalwart artists like Duran Duran, The Police, Michael Jackson, Prince, The Smiths and The Cure that played an integral and influential role in the bands creative development and provided an ambitious benchmark for the band to aspire to. The months that followed would see the band pour out four new songs in the form of ‘Me, Me, Me', ‘Easy Tiger', ‘Raise Hell' and ‘Historia'. Once recorded, the band knew they'd produced something pretty special, but were unsure how it would translate to an unsuspecting audience who had become increasingly accustomed to a tried and tested formula. Nor would they have guessed how many opportunities these songs would give them and just how far they would take them.
Fellow countrymen Lostprophets invited the band to open at some of their ‘Liberation Transmission' tour dates in July 2006 and again the five-piece found themselves playing to thousands of people at a time. Once home from their brief supporting stint, the band parted ways with guitarist Aled Rees and spent the next few months cashing in favours and borrowing band members from their local peers. One such person was close friend, Iain Mahanty, then of Dopamine, who filled in when the band headlined a sold-out Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff to celebrate the ‘release' of their EP. A night that Phillips remembers fondly, "It was a bit of a milestone for us. We thought we were the Rolling Stones for 40 minutes."
Over the next couple of months, the band took to playing everywhere and anywhere they could - a relentlessness that would reward the band with 1,500 sales of the EP by the years end. By October the group had started to gain the attention of record labels, managers, lawyers and booking agents and were promptly booked to play their first London show, coincidentally alongside another newcomer to the British underground, Gallows. The tiny show in Camden's Bar Monsta venue would see the band head back to the Valleys with a handful of business cards, bearing contact information for a whole host of big industry players. Having played the Bar Monsta show and a handful before it, Mahanty would leave Dopamine soon after and join the band full-time.
With interest from fans and the industry increasing at a very healthy rate, the band's EP was serviced to the UK's rock media and received glowing reviews, most notably a 4K review in Kerrang! magazine. "After that, we all had a bit of a ‘fuck me' moment," states the singer. "Things definitely changed. We started selling out shows, making some money and more and more doors began to open for us." In just the three months that remained of 2006, the band went on to play seven London shows and subsequently began 2007 with a manager and a booking agent to their name.
2007 would begin as 2006 ended - busy and on the road. The band embarked on their first proper tour of the UK in support of Hundred Reasons. The tour served as a fine appetizer of what was to come and a definite learning curve for the fledgling group. Kerrang! magazine ran an ‘Introducing' article on the band in early 2007, as well as declaring the band as one of ‘The 10 Hottest New Bands On The Planet'. "You really never forget the first time you see yourself in a magazine," Phillips comments. "I got up at about 7 in the morning to run out and get it. I haven't been up that early since," he laughs.
As Spring came to a close, the band had scaled the UK with 30 Seconds To Mars and The Blackout, headlined Klub Kerrang! at London's impressive Koko venue, as well as notching up an appearance on the ‘Give It A Name' festival bill and it's preceding ‘Give It A Name Introduces..' tour. With no real chance to catch their breath, the group found themselves on tour with the Manic Street Preachers and Goo Goo Dolls, as well as making appearances on the Full Ponty, Download and Hyde Park Calling festival bills, before beginning their first headline tour of the UK in June to predominantly sold out venues.
By the summer, the band found themselves on the receiving end of a Kerrang! award nomination for ‘Best New Band' and were on the Carling Festival bills in Reading and Leeds, performing what NME.com described as "nothing less than a total early afternoon victory," to capacity Carling Stage tents. Quite a feat for a band with just a five-track demo to their name. "I never in a million years thought that EP would take me to Earls Court, Donington, Reading and Leeds and allow me to sell out our first ever UK headline tour," adds Phillips.
When the band finished their October headline tour on Halloween at London's Islington Academy, the band proved they were worth the hype that had surrounded them in the previous twelve months, giving a stellar performance to a packed house, that included opening with a cover of Michael Jackson's classic ‘Thriller', complete with outfits and makeup. The next day, the band entered Long Wave Recording Studios in Cardiff, with Romesh Dodangoda at the helm, who had previously produced ‘E-Pocalypse!', to record their debut album.
Once recording was complete at the beginning of December, the quintet took to the road in support of Welsh natives, Funeral For A Friend. On the opening night of the tour, the band put a stop to months of talks and speculation by putting pen to paper with Roadrunner Records. As if it was written in the script all along, the tour would finish just days before Christmas at Cardiff's International Arena - a venue that the band had been dwarfed by just over two years earlier. This time around, the band were more than equal to the venues size, giving a sneak preview of material from their upcoming album and commanding the stage and audience with a conviction and confidence that belies their status as 'new kids on the block' and serves as a statement of intent for a year that is theirs for the taking.
Speaking about the forthcoming opus which they've entitled ‘Smart Casual', the singer reveals, "I've never been as proud of anything as I am of our album and what we've achieved. It was a labour of love and for all the drama, we got there in the end," he adds. "I absolutely cannot wait for people to hear it. I'm a bit nervous that they won't like it, but I think they will. Deep down. I hope so. They have awful taste in music if they don't," he concludes, tongue firmly in cheek.
The ‘Easy Tiger' single is released on 10th March, followed by ‘Me, Me, Me' on 12th May. Kids In Glass Houses' debut album, ‘Smart Casual' is set to hit stores two weeks later on 26th, through Roadrunner Records. 30/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY HEVY FEST KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have been confirmed to join Feeder, Ash, Gary Numan, Hundred Reasons, Attack! Attack!, Sonic Boom Six & In Case Of Fire ... 02/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES LIVE JD SET- CHANNEL 4 THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (03/04) During its six-year history, The JD Set has played host to artists such as The Wombats, Futureheads and Foals. This Friday, 3 April 2009 on ... 02/04/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY THE LIVERPOOL 02 ACADEMY The guys are set to headline an upcoming Puma Music show at the O2 Academy in Liverpool on the 30th April. The show is part ... 11/03/2009 - ROADRUNNER CD'S FOR ONLY £6.99 ON PLAY.COM If you head over to the PLAY website, you will find some of the best Roadrunner releases available on CD for the bargain price of ... 09/03/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES UPDATE US FROM THE ROAD On Friday (06/03), KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES played as main support to Fall Out Boy at London's O2 arena as part of the UK run ... 08/03/2009 - BECOME A ROADIE FOR KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES To coincide with KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' support tour with Fall Out Boy, Roadrunner have teamed with TUBEPOPPER.COM to co 04/03/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES ON COVER OF OURZONE MAGAZINE Kids In Glass Houses are gracing the cover of this month's Ourzone online magazine with a nice pre-tour Fall Out Boy feature. Make sure you ... 01/03/2009 - WIN KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TICKETS! Those crazy KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have teamed up with the Jack Daniels team to feature on the latest JD SET TOUR 2009 and YOU ... 25/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WARM UP IN SWANSEA Kids In Glass Houses are set to play an impromptu warm up show for their arena tour with Fall Out Boy which starts next week. They ... 16/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET REMIXED Head on down to Howard P. Sausages' myspace profile to listen to a bangin' electro remix of Kids In Glass Houses 'Give Me What I ... 06/02/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES STUDIO PICS POSTED KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are currently in the studio laying down some demos for their follow-up to last years debut album SMART CASUAL, which saw ... 28/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WIN PETA2 AWARD FOR BEST NEWCOMER Well, the full title of the award is MOST ANIMAL FRIENDLY BREAKTHROUGH INTERNATIONAL BAND, on account of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES being a) rad and ... 27/01/2009 - SEE KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORM IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE!! A few months ago, one lucky ROCK SOUND winner was the recipient of one hell of a prize!! They won KIDS IN GL 26/01/2009 - SLIPKNOT'S PAUL GRAY AND KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' ALED PHILIPS PAY TRIBUTE TO THE ASTORIA As you may know, London's legendary venue The Astoria has closed pending demolition to make way for the new cross-rail development. It will be mourned ... 22/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES CONFIRMED TO PLAY JD SET KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are confirmed to headline The JD Set at the Spring & Airbrake, Belfast on Friday 13 March 2009. To buy tickets ... 20/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO SUPPORT FALL OUT BOY South Wales quintet KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are excited to be able to announce that they will be the main support on the forthcoming Fall ... 15/01/2009 - KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES IN THE RUNNING FOR XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD- VOTE NOW! XFM have opened up the voting in their New Music Awards for 2009 and KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have made the long list of debut ... 23/12/2008 - CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES AT THE BBC RADIO WALES STUDIO KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES popped into BBC Radio Wales the other day for a bit of a chat with Beth. Check out these killer pics ... 23/12/2008 - CHECK OUT ROCK-SOUND.NET FOR NEWS ON MACHINE HEAD, MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND KIGH ROCK-SOUND.NET have asked some of rocks biggest names who they think will be the big hitters next year, and in their two part special, they ... 23/12/2008 - TRIVIUM QUIZ AIRBOURNE Continuing our festive series of bands interviewing bands, check out the latest installment featuring AIRBOURNE answering questions 'randomly generated' by 04/03/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES ON COVER OF OURZONE MAGAZINE Kids In Glass Houses are gracing the cover of this month's Ourzone online magazine with a nice pre-tour Fall Out Boy feature. Make sure you ... 27/10/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORM 'PILLOW TALK' LIVE AT BBC RADIO NOTTINGHAM Last week, those of you who frquent BEBO will have seen a juicy little snippet of our fave boys from Wales KIDS I 16/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET REMIXED Head on down to Howard P. Sausages' myspace profile to listen to a bangin' electro remix of Kids In Glass Houses 'Give Me What I ... 15/01/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES IN THE RUNNING FOR XFM NEW MUSIC AWARD- VOTE NOW! XFM have opened up the voting in their New Music Awards for 2009 and KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have made the long list of debut ... 03/10/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES CONFIRM 3RD ATTICUS SIGNING KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have confirmed a third in-store signing as part of the upcoming 25/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES WARM UP IN SWANSEA Kids In Glass Houses are set to play an impromptu warm up show for their arena tour with Fall Out Boy which starts next week. They ... 02/04/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES LIVE JD SET- CHANNEL 4 THIS FRIDAY NIGHT (03/04) During its six-year history, The JD Set has played host to artists such as The Wombats, Futureheads and Foals. This Friday, 3 April 2009 on ... 10/12/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES BLOG FOR NME KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are just finishing up their touring schedule for 2008, and in between finishing their Simple Plan support run and some dates ... 19/12/2008CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES PERFORMING FOR ROCK SOUND'S COMP WINNER A couple of months back, ROCK SOUND MAGAZINE ran a competition for people to win KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES p 23/12/2008TRIVIUM QUIZ AIRBOURNE Continuing our festive series of bands interviewing bands, check out the latest installment featuring AIRBOURNE answering questions 'randomly generated' by 13/08/2008CHECK OUT THE FILMING OF KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' VIDEO FOR 'SATURDAY' KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES released their single SATURDAY this week, and so we thought we would dig out the lil bits of footage of the ... 12/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT3 Here it is- the third and final part of the BEHIND THE SCENES OF SMART CASUAL series with KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES!!! Check it out ... 12/11/2008KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES GET THE GIGGLES What do you get if you put two members of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES in front of a video camera to do a tour update, ... 23/12/2008CHECK OUT ROCK-SOUND.NET FOR NEWS ON MACHINE HEAD, MADINA LAKE, STEADLUR AND KIGH ROCK-SOUND.NET have asked some of rocks biggest names who they think will be the big hitters next year, and in their two part special, they ... 30/04/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO PLAY HEVY FEST KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES have been confirmed to join Feeder, Ash, Gary Numan, Hundred Reasons, Attack! Attack!, Sonic Boom Six & In Case Of Fire ... 08/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT2 As promised, here is Part 2 of the Behind The Scenes look at the recording of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' luscious debut SMART CASUAL. Part ... 07/08/2008BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE RECORDING OF SMART CASUAL PT1 Back in May, just before the release of KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES' debut album SMART CASUAL, Kerrang! magazine gave you a look at what went ... 20/01/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES TO SUPPORT FALL OUT BOY South Wales quintet KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are excited to be able to announce that they will be the main support on the forthcoming Fall ... 06/02/2009KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES STUDIO PICS POSTED KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES are currently in the studio laying down some demos for their follow-up to last years debut album SMART CASUAL, which saw ... 23/12/2008CHECK OUT KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES AT THE BBC RADIO WALES STUDIO KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES popped into BBC Radio Wales the other day for a bit of a chat with Beth. Check out these killer pics ... Fisticuffs Fisticuffs Saturday Saturday Smart Casual Smart Casual Give Me What I Want Give Me What I Want Easy Tiger Easy Tiger BBC Radio Wales - December 17th '08 The guys chat to Beth... BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth BBC Radio Wales with Beth In The Studio Phil- not just a drummer and a pretty face... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Aled embraces the fro... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Tea time for Shay and Joel KIGH In the studio Jan 09 It's cold in Wales. Joel and Iain... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Iain- such a charmer... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Producer Romesh at the desk... KIGH In the studio Jan 09 Promo Rock Sound Magazine 'Live At Home' Gig Rock Sound competition winner Bianca gets the gig of a lifetime - 13th December 2008 Live Shots ALED- JD SET 2009 29th October 2008, Northampton Roadmenders by David Jackson 29th October 2008, Northampton Roadmenders by David Jackson Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Supporting Simple Plan on their European Tour Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Kerrang! Week of Rock, 16th August 2008, Camden Barfly (soundcheck) Source: www.nme.com T in the Park 2008 Source: www.nme.com T in the Park 2008 Other On The Road- October 2008 One The Road- October 2008 On The Road- October 2008 CARDIFF INSTORE (26/05) On the day of release of debut album SMART CASUAL, Kids In Glass Houses perform and sign copies in their local HMV in their hometown of Cardiff, Wales. Press Signings Atticus Tour NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 NME Signing Tent, Reading Festival, 23rd August 2008 Live at Kerrang! Radio 5th September 2008, Kerrang! Studios, Birmingham Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008 Acoustic session live at Kerrang! Radio, 5th September 2008
