We were lucky to catch up with Glass Cities recently and have shared our conversation below.
Glass, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
For us it’s really not a matter of being happy or not- we need it. Since the beginning it has never been about choice or being happy or unsatisfied with all the elements that come into the equation of the lifestyle as an artist- more specifically an independent/emerging one, it just feels right. It’s more an instinct, a sixth sense telling us this is the right path, like they say ´´there’s no plan B´´. We both have had regular nine-to-five office jobs in the past throughout our lives and it just doesn’t make sense, doesn’t feel like fulfilling a purpose or fighting for something higher than us- there´s no next level or innovation, sounds corny but it’s the plain truth. At least if we can convey our message and at the same time make somebody change their minds for good or just make people have a good time, that´s what is about.
Glass, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Glass Cities is a duo located in Miami, FL. It consists of two people originally from Caracas, Venezuela and Monterrey, Mexico. Glass Cities sits behind the idea of printing different cultures
and sounds under one movement- with no limits/boundaries.
The duo consist of Luis (lead vocalist/ guitarist/ keys) with a background in music production
and sound design in all kinds of genres (EDM, indie, R&B, reggaeton, pop, etc)- had produced
for solo artists, landed placements for sync music and also has an alternative-house side project
called “Tremolo.” Omar (Drums/ backing vocals/ synths) has a complete music background
being a graduate from Full Sail University, had produced various Latino-urban artists in Miami
and performed as a drummer in bands around Mexico and the United States.
Glass Cities have been actively participating in the South-florida alt music scene at venues such
as Naomi’s Garden Propaganda, Poorhouse, LauderAle, Undergrounds, Sandbox, Lincoln’s
beard, Though Times, Savage Labs and events hosted by Backroom Sessions and Breaking
Sound- supporting and sharing stage with local artist like Hadee, JLG, Medisin, Veta Ceti, The
Band Baron, Plastic Eyes, Telekon, AWAL, The Chans and many more. Also featured by the LA
blog Shoutout Socal and locals with Voyage MIA.
The project originally started as a one-man-army thing with Luis writing songs around 2018 that
shared the same space and since the pandemic hit- along with quitting the regular 9-to-5 job-
got heavily much more invested as well on the production side of things. Starting out with just a
guitar, a laptop, and that anxious drive was indeed a challenge, but the tables eventually turned
when first single “Steal the Car,” came out. The movement really picked up when the band
formed and helped put together the pieces of the first self-titled album. After that part of the
year, we started diving into the South-Florida music scene delivering a show that wasn’t 100%
perfect at first, but with passion and endurance, it became an electric multi-genre
concept-driven performance.
The duo released their debut self-titled album back in Summer of 2022 “Glass Cities” that
consist of 6 songs featuring rapper Paris Boyd and solo artist Victor Galindez on the
experimental RnB – indie track “You” and the main single called “Kennedy” which is a wake up
call for the people to break out from the system and the norm- promising an impactful and
melodic experience which will remain printed on people’s thoughts through fast paced beats,
echoing riffs, pentatonic bass lines and yet passive-aggressive vocals.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I (Luis) didn’t use to sing three years ago. Before the pandemic I wasn’t able either to hit one note or stay in pitch or to even have a nice tone people could enjoy, it was weird. Back in highschool I went to vocal coaches and classes and everyone said I should even bother to try, not even pop music (which doesn’t make sense to me, pop can get challenging with certain artist in my opinion)- but right when the pandemic hit early 2020 I started making more songs and wanted to people to listen and enjoy them, instrumentals are not that appealing for the majority and nobody loves a dying-cat sounding guy, so I just put in the work everyday singing in the car, youtube videos, tracking my own vocals, analyzing vocals from live performances- just being really really obsessed with the craft, until one day my friends and family for the first time say ¨´Hey, who’s that on the record?´´… That’s when you know. There is allegedly something called ´´The Bee Theory¨which states bees aren’t supposed to fly due to their big bodies and small wings, but they do.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Yes, Glastonbury, SXSW and Lollapalooza.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://glasscitiesmusic.com/
- Instagram: @glasscitiesband
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasscitiesmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@glasscitiesmusic
Image Credits
Ashley Mireles Miguel Montes Andres Guzman