Glass Owls

Glass Owls

Glass Owls are a New Zealand indie and alternative group formed in Howick, Auckland in 2007. The band begins under the name Three Kings, changes its name to The Collection, and then settles on Glass Owls. Its lineup is Ivan Luketina-Johnston on drums, Christopher Pearce on bass, Anthony Metcalf on lyrics and guitar, and Tomas Nelson on lyrics and vocals. The drummer changes at one point, with Allan taking over while the rest of the membership remains the same.

The band builds a reputation as a live act before releasing a record, and its debut EP, Dead Love, marks that first release. The six-track EP is produced by Dave Parker and includes songs that had already been heard in performance. The tracks named in the release are “Griffin Boy”, “I’ll Be Waiting”, “No Avail”, “Nothing Personal (Just You)”, “Sarah” and “Summer Girl”. “No Avail” appears as the debut single, while “Sarah” is identified as the band’s best-known song and also appears on Remix Magazine’s Indie Remix CD.

Glass Owls play widely in Auckland and beyond, with performances at Cassette #9, Juice Bar, The Kings Arms, Rising Sun, The Dog’s Bollix, Barnstock and The Wine Cellar, as well as at New Zealand Fashion Week 2009. They also appear on 95bFM’s Fancy New Band Show and Balcony TV, and record a Red Bull Live Studio Session in 2009. Their music is described through references to kiwi pop, garage rock, anthemic harmony-led songs and guitar-driven arrangements, with “Nothing Personal (Just You)” singled out for its guitar work and vocal delivery.