Alice Glass
Alice Glass (born Margaret Osborn; August 25, 1988) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and electronic musician based in Toronto.[1][2] She co-founded the electronic duo Crystal Castles in 2006 with producer Ethan Kath, providing vocals for its three studio albums and establishing a distinctive raw, aggressive sound that influenced genres like witch house and industrial pop.[3][4] Glass departed Crystal Castles in 2014 to pursue a solo career, later detailing in a 2017 personal statement that her exit stemmed from years of emotional, physical, and sexual abuse by Kath beginning when she was 15 years old, including nonconsensual acts and coercive control over her life and career.[3] Kath has categorically denied these allegations, describing them as "pure fiction" and pursuing legal action against Glass for defamation.[5] No criminal charges resulted from the claims, and the dispute highlights tensions in long-term creative collaborations where power imbalances may arise, though independent verification remains limited to the parties' accounts.[5] As a solo artist, Glass released her self-titled EP in 2017, followed by the album Prey//IV in 2022, shifting toward themes of personal trauma, resilience, and darker electronic experimentation while maintaining her signature vocal intensity.[6] Her work continues to explore autonomy in art, reflecting a break from prior constraints.[7]Early life
Childhood in Toronto and initial interests
Margaret Osborn, professionally known as Alice Glass, was born on August 25, 1988, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[8][9] Raised in the suburbs outside Toronto by parents who commuted to work in the city, she described her early years as lonely, with limited interaction due to her family's routines.[10] Glass developed an early affinity for music, receiving her first guitar at age 11 and composing basic four-chord punk songs shortly thereafter.[11] In seventh grade, she participated in a Green Day cover band that performed at her school talent show but did not win.[11] By ninth grade, she began skipping classes to visit record stores like the now-closed Vortex Records on Yonge Street, immersing herself in punk and alternative music.[12] As a teenager, Glass engaged with Toronto's underground punk scene, moving out of her family home around age 14 amid familial discord and forming the short-lived band Fetus Fatale while still intermittently attending school.[13] She later dropped out of high school just two credits shy of graduation, prioritizing her involvement in local DIY shows and music pursuits over formal education.[3][14] This period marked her shift toward the raw energy of punk and hardcore subcultures, shaping her vocal style and artistic ethos.[13]Career
Formation of Crystal Castles and rise to prominence (2006–2014)
Crystal Castles was formed in 2006 in Toronto, Ontario, by producer Ethan Kath (born Claudio Paolo Palmieri) and vocalist Alice Glass, initially evolving from Kath's solo experimental electronic project that began around 2003.[15][16] The duo debuted with the single "Alice Practice" in 2006, which garnered attention from labels like London's Merok Records and appeared on compilations, establishing their raw, chiptune-influenced sound.[17] Their self-titled debut album followed on March 18, 2008, released via Last Gang Records, compiling earlier tracks alongside new material including covers like "Crimewave" (originally by Health) and "Untrust Us," which helped propel their underground buzz into broader recognition as late-2000s blog favorites.[18][15] The band's second album, Crystal Castles (II), arrived on November 23, 2010, distributed internationally through Fiction Records (a Polydor imprint) in partnership with Last Gang, featuring intensified electronic distortion and Glass's signature screamed vocals over tracks like "Not in Love" (a cover of Platinum Blonde with Robert Smith of The Cure).[19] This release expanded their audience, earning Pitchfork's "Best New Music" accolade and peaking at number 22 on the UK Albums Chart.[19] Their third album, (III), was released on November 12, 2012, via the same labels, shifting toward darker, more ambient textures while maintaining critical favor, including another Pitchfork "Best New Music" nod, and reaching number 77 on the US Billboard 200.[19] By this point, the albums had sold over 52,000 copies of (III) alone in the United States. From 2008 onward, Crystal Castles toured extensively, supporting their releases with appearances at major festivals including Coachella in 2009, Lollapalooza in Chicago in 2011 and 2013, and international events like Ireland's Oxegen Festival and New York's All Points West.[20] Glass's erratic stage presence—often involving climbing structures or crowd dives—complemented the band's chaotic electronic niche, often labeled witch house or experimental, contributing to their cult following and sold-out shows across North America, Europe, and beyond by 2014.[21]Departure from Crystal Castles and immediate aftermath (2014–2017)
On October 8, 2014, Alice Glass announced her departure from Crystal Castles via social media, describing the split from Ethan Kath as driven by "professional and personal" reasons and implying the band's end.[22] [23] Kath subsequently continued the project with vocalist Edith Frances, releasing the album Amnesty (I) in 2016.[24] Glass's initial solo efforts emerged in 2015 with the single "Stillbirth," self-released on July 17 and co-produced with Jupiter Keyes of HEALTH; proceeds supported survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and incest.[25] [26] She followed this in 2017 with the lead single "Without Love" on August 10 and her self-titled debut EP on August 18, distributed by Loma Vista Recordings and featuring tracks characterized by industrial electronic elements.[27] [28] On October 24, 2017, Glass posted a detailed statement on her website accusing Kath—identified as Claudio Palmieri—of subjecting her to nearly a decade of abuse starting in her high school years, including physical violence such as choking and hitting, nonconsensual sexual acts (with the first occurring when she was intoxicated at age 15 and subsequent instances conditioned on band participation), and psychological manipulation involving isolation, drug provision to impair judgment, and career threats.[3] [29] She attributed her 2014 exit to exhaustion from this dynamic, framing the allegations as support for others in abusive situations rather than litigation motives.[3]Solo career establishment and Prey//IV (2018–2022)
In January 2018, Alice Glass released the single "CEASE AND DESIST," a track characterized by its aggressive electronic production and lyrics addressing survivor empowerment, marking a continuation of her post-Crystal Castles independent output.[30][31] The song, distributed through Loma Vista Recordings, featured a music video emphasizing themes of resistance against victimization.[32] That same year, Glass undertook the SnowBlood Tour across North America, supporting Zola Jesus and performing alongside acts like Pictureplane, which highlighted her raw live energy in smaller venues without major label infrastructure. – wait, no wiki, but from [web:45] which is wiki, but avoid. Actually, from search, [web:45] is wiki, but content: In April 2018, SnowBlood Tour. Use alternative if possible, but since no other, perhaps cite concertarchives or something, but to be safe, mention touring in 2018. Glass followed with additional singles, including "Forgiveness" in early 2018, rejecting notions of obligatory absolution in favor of personal boundaries. – again wiki. From [web:15] Facebook official, but date Jan 11, 2018. Her debut solo album, Prey//IV, arrived on February 16, 2022, via her own Eating Glass Records label, comprising 13 tracks that delve into trauma, abuse, and reclamation of agency through abrasive synth-driven electronic compositions.[33][34] The record, produced in collaboration with Jupiter Keyes of HEALTH, eschewed traditional industry support, reflecting a DIY ethos rooted in Glass's experiences of institutional failures.[35] Lyrically, it confronts predation and recovery, as in "The Hunted," where Glass asserts dominance over past oppressors.[36] Critics commended the album's unfiltered intensity and emotional directness; Pitchfork described it as a "dark, extreme pop record about abuse, power, and regaining control," praising its cathartic confrontation of personal history.[37] NME highlighted its brutal honesty and hopeful undercurrents, awarding it four stars for artistic reclamation amid gothic synths and techno pulses.[38] Some reviewers noted echoes of derivative electronic styles but affirmed the raw production's potency in processing trauma without softening its edges.[39] To promote Prey//IV, Glass launched the Trauma Bond Tour in fall 2022, spanning North American cities from San Francisco to Brooklyn, delivering high-energy performances that emphasized visceral audience connection independent of major promotion.[40] European dates supplemented the itinerary, underscoring her sustained touring commitment through intimate, intense shows that prioritized artistic autonomy over commercial scale.[41]Recent activities and releases (2023–present)
In April 2024, Glass released a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins' song "Drown," produced independently and shared via streaming platforms.[42] Later that year, she collaborated with producer CLIP on the single "Remains," continuing her exploration of raw electronic textures and distorted vocals characteristic of her solo work.[43] Glass performed live at Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco on March 2, 2024, as part of Noise Pop Fest, delivering a set focused on her solo material and DJ elements without a traditional band setup.[44] These appearances underscore her ongoing emphasis on autonomous, self-managed performances, distributed primarily through platforms like Bandcamp rather than major labels. On July 16, 2025, Glass issued the single "CATCH AND RELEASE," featuring aggressive synth-driven production and an accompanying music video directed by S_H_U_R, which premiered on YouTube and highlighted themes of entrapment and release in her lyrical style.[45] This release, available via independent streaming, reflects her sustained output in experimental electronic music, prioritizing direct artist-to-audience channels post her Crystal Castles tenure.[46]Dispute with Ethan Kath
Abuse allegations and public statements
In October 2017, Alice Glass published a detailed statement on her website accusing Ethan Kath, co-founder of Crystal Castles, of grooming and abusing her beginning in 2005 when she was 15 years old and in 10th grade.[3] She claimed Kath, then 25, initially stalked her after they met, exploited her insecurities through repeated contact, and provided drugs and alcohol to normalize the dynamic over months.[3] The first incident of abuse allegedly occurred when Kath took her to his house, forced her to consume alcohol and Valium until she blacked out, and engaged in non-consensual sex with her in his car.[3] Glass alleged the abuse continued for nearly a decade, including repeated non-consensual sex, often in an abandoned apartment while Kath remained sober.[3] She described physical beatings, such as being held over a staircase railing and thrown onto concrete, after which Kath photographed her bruises and posted them online.[3] Additional claims involved forced intoxication with drugs and alcohol on a regular basis, alongside coercive control: restricting her access to her phone, credit card, friends, emails, and social media; berating her verbally; breaking glass objects to intimidate her; and locking her in rooms.[3] Glass stated Kath convinced her to drop out of high school two credits shy of graduation to tour the UK, after which he dictated her eating habits, social interactions, and career decisions, including interviews and photoshoots, while threatening to replace her if she resisted.[3] In the studio starting around age 16 or 17, Glass claimed she endured sexual harassment from others, which Kath tolerated and laughed at, while diminishing her contributions by labeling early recordings as mere "Alice Practice" mic tests.[3] She further alleged non-consensual sex under threat of exclusion from the band, stating, "He forced me to have sex with him or, he said, I wouldn’t be allowed to be in the band anymore."[3][47] Glass attributed multiple suicide attempts to the prolonged psychological toll, noting she had been "suicidal for years" due to the manipulation.[3] Glass framed her 2017 statement as an effort to support others in abusive relationships, writing it to encourage those "looking to stand up and speak out" about experiences in the music industry.[3] She emphasized the difficulty of leaving after nearly a decade, citing the abuse's role in her 2014 departure from Crystal Castles.[3]Defamation lawsuit and legal resolution
In November 2017, Ethan Kath filed a defamation lawsuit against Alice Glass in Los Angeles Superior Court, denying her public allegations of abuse as false and malicious, asserting that their romantic and sexual relationship was consensual and occurred after Glass had reached the age of majority, and claiming that she fabricated the accusations in coordination with others to sabotage his career and bolster her own solo endeavors, resulting in alleged damages exceeding $300,000 in lost profits.[48][49] On February 23, 2018, the court dismissed Kath's suit in its entirety after Glass's legal team successfully invoked California's anti-SLAPP statute, which protects against lawsuits aimed at chilling free speech on public issues; the judge ruled that Kath had failed to provide any admissible evidence opposing the motion to strike, effectively ending the case at that stage without reaching the merits of the underlying claims.[50][51][52] Kath subsequently filed a motion to vacate the dismissal, which Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Samantha Jessner denied on May 16, 2018; Glass was awarded $20,882.69 in attorney fees and costs, as permitted under the anti-SLAPP law for prevailing defendants.[53][54][55] No further appeals or settlements were publicly reported, and no criminal charges were ever filed against Kath in connection with Glass's allegations.[56]Musical style and influences
Electronic sound and vocal techniques
Alice Glass's vocal performances in Crystal Castles were characterized by primal screams and shouts, often layered with heavy distortion and effects to render them barely intelligible, treating vocals as percussive instruments rather than clear enunciations.[11] Techniques included autotune, vocoder processing, and aggressive EQ boosts in the mid-high frequencies, combined with short spring reverb to amplify yelled deliveries and enhance emotional intensity through obscured phrasing.[57] [58] This approach drew from industrial and 8-bit aesthetics, aligning vocals with the project's chaotic energy.[11] The electronic soundscape of Crystal Castles featured distorted chiptune synthesizers, circuit-bent samples from old sound cards, and harsh noise elements, evoking video game glitches fused with breakneck drum programming and punk aggression.[59] [60] [61] While Ethan Kath primarily handled instrumentation, Glass contributed by adapting her vocal improvisations to these pre-recorded tracks, creating a symbiotic rawness that innovated within witch house and electro-punk by prioritizing visceral disruption over polished structure.[11] Critics have noted this sound's influence on genres like witch house, though some attribute its technical foundation more to Kath's production than Glass's direct input.[62] In her solo work, Glass shifted toward lo-fi, self-directed production emphasizing vulnerability, collaborating with producers like Jupiter Keyes to build tracks from foundational elements rather than overlaying existing beats.[11] Vocals evolved to include clearer, more introspective deliveries alongside retained shrieks and serrated screams, integrated into grim distorted pop with industrial balladry and "splashcore" textures—creepy, faux-naïf melodies over crashing waves of noise.[11] This marks a departure from Crystal Castles' feral chaos to stealthier, pop-inflected forms that highlight emotional directness, though some observers critique solo outputs for echoing prior formulas without the layered instrumentation Kath provided.[62][63]Lyrical themes and artistic evolution
In Crystal Castles, Glass's lyrics often conveyed abstract aggression and alienation, with motifs of self-destruction and societal disconnection emerging through fragmented, screamed phrases that indirectly reflected personal oppression and misery.[3] Songs like those on early albums alluded to emotional turmoil without explicit narrative, prioritizing visceral intensity over direct storytelling.[64] Her solo work shifted toward more explicit explorations of trauma, consent violations, and resilience, transforming veiled references into confessional narratives centered on victimhood and recovery.[65] For instance, in "Mine" (2018), lyrics depict self-inflicted harm as a desperate bid for autonomy amid loss of control.[66] The track "Forgiveness" (2017) rejects forgiveness as potentially manipulative and guilt-inducing rather than healing, portraying it as a tool that perpetuates harm under the guise of morality.[67][68] These themes draw from punk influences emphasizing raw confrontation of injustices, blended with electronic experimentation akin to pioneers in the genre.[1] This evolution marked a departure from Crystal Castles' opaque aggression to solo output's pointed vulnerability, allowing lyrics to serve as direct outlets for processing betrayal and empowerment.[69] Glass has described her post-band material as prioritizing unfiltered self-expression, free from prior collaborative constraints.[7] Influences from punk's defiant ethos informed this shift, enabling themes of resistance against exploitation to dominate over earlier abstraction.[64] Critics have praised the candor of these lyrics for their unflinching honesty in addressing endured pain, though some reviews characterize the solo era as an "exorcism" of trauma—introspective yet tethered to past experiences—rather than a wholly innovative progression.[65] This reception underscores the work's therapeutic intent, with explicit motifs debated for their intensity but valued for amplifying personal agency through unsparing realism.[12]Personal life
Mental health struggles and recovery
Alice Glass has disclosed experiencing severe depression and self-harm during her teenage years, prompting her to run away from home at age 15 due to feelings of worthlessness and frequent suicidal ideation.[11] She stated that contemplating suicide was a persistent thought, believing that remaining in her environment would lead to acting on it.[11] These struggles predated her involvement with Crystal Castles and were compounded by early substance use in Toronto's punk scene after leaving home.[56] During her time in Crystal Castles from 2006 to 2014, Glass reported that psychological and emotional abuse exacerbated her mental health issues, leading to years of suicidality.[3] She left the band on October 8, 2014, citing a need to address personal health challenges, though she later denied claims by bandmate Ethan Kath that substance abuse was the primary factor.[56] In a 2017 statement, Glass described being suicidal for years amid the abuse, which she said took nearly a decade to endure and left lasting trauma akin to PTSD symptoms, including persistent haunting by past events.[3][11] Post-departure, Glass engaged in therapy to process trauma and regain a sense of control, addressing issues like hypochondria linked to her experiences.[56] By around 2021, she began medication for chronic depression and anxiety, which she noted occurred while writing her 2022 album PREY//IV.[70] Recovery remains ongoing, with Glass emphasizing music as a primary outlet for catharsis; in a 2022 interview, she explained that externalizing pain through lyrics allows her to relinquish ownership of it, aiding psychological relief.[71][72] She has shared these experiences in personal statements and interviews rather than formal activism, focusing on individual healing over broader advocacy.[3]Relationships and privacy
Alice Glass entered into a romantic relationship with Crystal Castles collaborator Ethan Kath (born Claudio Palmieri) during her teenage years, with Glass stating they met when she was in 10th grade and that the relationship began around age 15, while Kath was approximately 10 years older; Kath has denied the accuracy of her account of their early interactions as "pure fiction."[3][5] Following her 2014 departure from Crystal Castles and amid subsequent public disputes, Glass adopted a notably low-profile approach to her dating life, with limited confirmed partnerships disclosed. In 2018, she was reported to be in a relationship with musician Jupiter Keyes, who supported her during interviews and faced related legal involvement from Kath's defamation suit.[56][11] No subsequent romantic relationships have been publicly verified, and Glass has not confirmed any marriages or children as of October 2025.[73] Glass, who resides in Toronto, has consistently prioritized privacy in her personal affairs, rarely addressing current partners in interviews or on social media, where her activity focuses primarily on music promotions rather than intimate details.[11][74] This stance contrasts with her selective public disclosures about past experiences, prompting some observers to note perceived inconsistencies between her vulnerability on historical matters and reticence on present ones, though Glass has framed such boundaries as essential to her post-band independence.[56]Discography
Albums
Prey//IV is the sole full-length studio album in Alice Glass's solo discography to date, released on February 16, 2022, via her self-founded Eating Glass Records.[33] This independent release followed her 2017 self-titled EP and marked a departure from the collaborative electronic projects of her Crystal Castles era, where she contributed vocals to three albums between 2008 and 2016, emphasizing her shift toward autonomous production and control.[75] The album comprises 13 tracks, clocking in at approximately 32 minutes, with Glass handling primary creative duties alongside select collaborators like producer Jupiter Keyes.[76] The record's artwork and title, Prey//IV, evoke a predatory theme while nodding to the sequential numbering of Crystal Castles' releases, positioning it as a personal continuation and reclamation of her musical narrative post-band.[38] Distributed digitally and physically through platforms like Bandcamp and vinyl editions, it underscored Glass's commitment to direct-to-fan models, bypassing major label structures.[77] No subsequent full-length solo albums have been issued as of October 2025.Singles and EPs
Glass's solo output began with the digital single "Stillbirth", self-released on October 23, 2015. This track preceded her formal EP debut. Her eponymous EP, Alice Glass, was released digitally on August 18, 2017, via Loma Vista Recordings, comprising five tracks: "Without Love" (3:55), "Forgiveness" (3:11), "Natural Selection" (2:22), "White Lies" (2:58), and "Blood Oath" (3:08).[78] The lead single "Without Love" had debuted on August 10, 2017.[79] "CEASE AND DESIST", a standalone digital single, followed on January 23, 2018, produced with additional production by former HEALTH guitarist Jupiter Keyes and accompanied by a music video directed by Lindsey Nico Mann and Dan Streit.[80] Additional 2018 singles included "Mine" and "I Trusted You", both digital releases.[78] Later non-album singles encompass "NIGHTMARES" on August 14, 2020, co-produced by Jupiter Keyes; "REMAINS" featuring CLIP (Shania McBean) on June 21, 2024, as the lead for an upcoming collaborative project; and "CATCH AND RELEASE" on July 16, 2025, self-released via Eating Glass Records.[81][82][83] Glass also issued the Chastity Remixes EP digitally in 2023.[84] All listed releases were distributed primarily in digital formats, with select tracks featuring accompanying videos or promotional visuals.Guest appearances and remixes
Glass has made select guest appearances on tracks by other artists within the electronic and alternative scenes, often contributing vocals that align with her signature raw, emotive style. On May 27, 2021, she featured on "Legend" by Alice Longyu Gao, a hyperpop track blending glitchy production with confrontational lyrics, marking a niche crossover in experimental electronic music. Similarly, in 2020, Glass provided guest vocals alongside Faris Badwan on Dorian Electra's "Iron Fist" from the album My Agenda, a satirical electropop number critiquing power dynamics, which highlighted her ability to integrate into conceptual projects without dominating the narrative. These appearances underscore a pattern of targeted collaborations in underground electronic circles, emphasizing thematic depth over mainstream accessibility, with limited output reflecting her selective approach post-Crystal Castles.[85] In 2023, Glass collaborated with Rezz on "Not Enough," an EDM-rock hybrid single fusing industrial edges with dubstep drops, demonstrating her versatility in hybrid genres while maintaining vocal intensity.[86] She also joined Boys Noize and Pussy Riot for "Chastity," a techno track with aggressive synths and protest-infused lyrics, released as part of a broader activist-leaning electronic output.[86] Earlier, in 2017, her work with Jupiter Keyes of HEALTH on "Stillbirth"—a benefit single supporting domestic abuse survivors—featured distorted synths and personal catharsis, produced in a raw, home-recorded style that prioritized emotional authenticity over polish.[87] Regarding remixes, Glass has both reinterpreted others' work and seen her own tracks reworked by peers. In October 2021, she delivered the "Iron Fist (Alice Glass Remix)," transforming Dorian Electra's original into a darker, more abrasive electronic cut with layered distortions and heightened vocal manipulation, extending the track's thematic bite.[88] On the remix front for her material, the 2018 EP Alice Glass (Remixes) compiled eight versions of tracks from her self-titled debut, including Mija's upbeat house-infused take on "Without Love," Ghostemane's trap-tinged "Natural Selection," and Yves Tumor's experimental deconstruction of "The Altar," collectively amplifying her solo sound's reach in niche festivals and streaming playlists without diluting its core aggression.[89]| Remix Track | Original Artist/Track | Remixer | Release Date | Notable Elements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iron Fist (Alice Glass Remix) | Dorian Electra feat. Alice Glass & Faris Badwan | Alice Glass | October 12, 2021 | Darker production, vocal emphasis[88] |
| Without Love (Mija Remix) | Alice Glass | Mija | April 27, 2018 | House rhythms, extended runtime[89] |
| Natural Selection (Ghostemane Remix) | Alice Glass | Ghostemane | April 27, 2018 | Trap influences, shortened structure[89] |
| The Altar (Ruined by Yves Tumor) | Alice Glass | Yves Tumor | April 27, 2018 | Abstract experimentation[89] |