Dive Into "Pink Flamingo": A Fresh Take from Kids In Glass Houses

A whole lot has changed since Kids In Glass Houses went on indefinite hiatus in 2014. You can hear every second of that turbulence, growth and rediscovery across comeback record ‘Pink Flamingo’ though. “A lot has happened personally and in society since then, and I wanted this record to reflect that. It had to feel like ten years had passed,” explains vocalist Aled Phillips. “But it still needed the DNA of Kids In Glass Houses.”

Formed in 2003, the Cardiff-based band quickly developed a fearsome live reputation while debut album ‘Smart Casual’ cemented their position at the forefront of the buzzy Brit Rock scene. ‘Give Me What I Want’ and ‘Saturday’ remain generational-defining anthems.

Named after a Glassjaw song, Kids In Glass Houses had plenty of snarling swagger but also took heavy influence from the creative, boundary-pushing pop music of the ‘80s. “We did something different, and no one really knew where to place us,” grins Aled, with the band playing shows with Bon Jovi, Manic Street Preachers, Fall Out Boy and Paramore among others. “We didn’t really know what we were doing either, but there’s a charm to that,” he adds.

A trio of albums saw Kids In Glass Houses continue to push boundaries and chase creative instincts, amidst world tours and massive festival slots. “I am really proud of the risks we took. We were willfully defiant at times, which pissed off labels but it's easy to get swept up in what your peers are doing,” Aled explains. Yes, some of it tested the patience of fans, but it was impossible not to get caught up in their increasingly colorful world.

However, when things stopped feeling exciting, the five-piece mutually agreed to wind things down. “We’d had a brilliant run and we didn’t want to be one of the bands making music for the sake of it,” says Aled. Kids In Glass Houses played their last show in October 2014, and the band all went their separate ways. “We were all still friends, but we’d started to lose that hunger,” he adds. Like most childhood friends, Joel Fisher, Iain Mahanty, Andrew Shay, Philip Jenkins stayed in occasional contact, but there was no Kids In Glass Houses group chat plotting their eventual return.

It wasn’t until Slam Dunk booker Ben Ray reminded Aled that Smart Casual’s 15th anniversary was fast approaching, and he was keeping a slot ready for them at the festival, if the band wanted to celebrate with some live shows. “Everyone was in a good place with their own lives, so it seemed like it could be fun,” explains Aled. “There was no pressure.”

The band weren’t exactly expecting a negative reaction to the news of their return, but they weren’t expecting such an outpouring of love and excitement either. An anniversary headline tour was announced shortly afterwards. “Our shows always felt like a community of like-minded individuals coming together, and it was beautiful to bring people back together after so many years,” Aled says. “They're probably my favorite shows we've ever done.”

While rehearsing for those first shows back, the band started to wonder what new Kids In Glass Houses music would sound like in 2024. “When you see that level of enthusiasm for your band and you’re having such a good time together, you can’t help yourself,” grins Aled.

‘Pink Flamingo’ is Kids In Glass Houses’ grand return. Channeling the excitement of their debut with the ambition of what came next, the album has the foundations of what came before, but takes it to new heights. “It feels like a new start, rather than us just churning out a fifth album,” says Aled. “As much as people ask for another ‘Smart Casual’, we couldn’t write it and I don’t think they’d really want it anyway.”

Kids In Glass Houses have always pulled from a number of different influences, including Prince, Bloc Party, The Strokes as well as post-hardcore and emo. “We were always a bit scared to lean into the more outlandish stuff before but on this one, if it felt good, we did it,” explains Aled. That new bold outlook means all of those different styles that make up the bane are beautifully weaved together across ‘Pink Flamingo’, with the band finally honing a sound they’ve always toyed with. It means the record feels more dynamic and daring than anything that has come before, but there’s also a sincerity to it. “There was just so much joy and confidence in what we were making,” Aled continues. “We got back in touch with why we started the band in the first place, which is that we just love making music together.”

Rather than overthink the legacy of the band and how to evolve that, the band trusted in one another. “We learnt to be comfortable that anything we wrote together was a Kids In Glass Houses song,” says Aled. The band were also more open with one another, with that honesty providing nothing but inspiration. Iain also took on co-production duties, helping the band shape the record into something that truly felt like theirs. “We've all grown as individuals and a collective,” he says.” There was just this real sense of freedom to ‘Pink Flamingo’.

Opening track and lead single ‘Theme From Pink Flamingo’ straddles decades and serves as a check-in from Aled. “It’s about everything that has happened since that last album,” he offers, reflecting on a decade of societal and political upheaval. “It’s about how younger generations are constantly failed by those in charge because of self-interest and greed.”

Other songs like ‘Strawberry Sky’ deal with the rise in misinformation, hate and isolation, “The way we connect is just so different now, and it worries me,” says Aled. “Everything is so very online, which impacts our relationships with each other and our own mental health. It’s a really bleak time, multiple wars are happening, and I couldn’t shy away from that.“

“I hope there’s some hope on the record, but there is a lot of darkness,” he admits. “There’s a lot of overwhelmingly beautiful songs that are just a bit nihilistic.”

As well as scathing reflections on the world around them, ‘Pink Flamingo’ is also a deeply personal record. ‘A Ghost To Live With’ started out in the months after Kids In Glass Houses first broke up, with Aled struggling to find his place in the world while other songs are about feeling content, comfortable and loved. “It does cover a lot of ground,” he says.

A lot of the record still feels raw for Aled. “In the past, I’ve been a closed book with lyrics but it felt like time to get over that. When I was in my 20s, I was so self-conscious but now I really don’t care about saying exactly how I feel,” he explains. “If people relate to it, that’s amazing but I’m finally saying all the things I need to say.”

Ultimately, ‘Pink Flamingo’ sees Kids In Glass Houses embracing their past, but refusing to be defined by it. “We’ve stolen from across our own back catalogue and used that to form this new vision of Kids In Glass Houses,” says Aled, with ‘Pink Flamingo’ perhaps the definitive KIGH record. “There have been some near misses in the past and we wanted to right some wrongs,” he adds. “But a new album never felt like a risk. None of us would be doing this if we didn’t believe it was amazing and worthwhile.”

As for the future, the band are gearing up for a string of headline tours and festival appearances. They’re also refusing to rule out more new music. “It feels exciting, and that’s good enough reason to be doing it again,” says Aled. “Really, I want to see where this crazy journey takes us this time around”.