Image by: Matt Sitas

“it’s a beautiful day / nothings going my way / colour all around / i see nothing but grey”

Lifted straight from their new single ‘Sunkissed’, there’s not a lyric that encapsulates FBi’s Independent Artist of the Week Glass Boys better. The trio are all about the bittersweet combination of high energy beats and sugary melodies with despondent, I-don’t-know-who-I-am lyrics. 

Hailing from the North West suburbs of Sydney, producer Ar1zona and vocalists v.00 and Glacie have been active as a trio since 2020. A dig through their many SoundCloud demos and singles reveals tracks like ‘lost friends’ and ‘fuck outta my face’ – all tinged with an early 2k nostalgia, a healthy amount of Drain Gang influence and “hyper-online” aesthetics.

The style continues into their visual identity too – there’s a beautiful blend of nostalgia and hypermodernity across the Glass Boys Instagram – VCR grain and lo-fi handheld digital cameras are interspersed with the bright hues and hand drawn layers of 2020s cloud rap.

That emphasis on contrast shows up all over the Glass Boys world. Drawing on the freedom of cloud rap and honesty of indie rock, they bare their struggles and conflicts over sliding 808s and crystalline guitars. While Ar1zona is an avid alt-hip hop fan with a background in SoundCloud rap, v.00 loves emo music and draws heavily on the unabashed sincerity for which the genre is loved. Lyricist Glacie marries the two words with finesse, blending the tropes of cloud rap with the energy and angst of pop punk.

Their new single ‘Sunkissed’ opens with a short wash of fuzzed-out clicks and voices, before we rush right into an upbeat, optimistic chorus. Though the beat and flow are bouncy, the lyrics give us a bare-chested insight into feeling depressed and lost even in beautiful places.

But if you’ve caught them live, then you know that Glass Boys flip the mood for their shows. They call upon other local artists from the alt-rap and electronic scenes to sprinkle moments of Jersey club, UKG, and donk, elevating their sound from the realm of bedroom listening to something more club-friendly.

Collaboration is at the heart of this process, and all of Glass Boys’ upcoming work. Stream their latest single below and be sure to stay tuned for their upcoming mixtape tipped to include Jay Cooper, WILDLYF, Ealing, Harvest, LIL KET and more on the credits list.