Glass Beaches & Blood Rivers: Why bands breakup
Bands last usually, 10 years. Steve Hyden wrote those words just over 10 years ago, and the statement is true, in that time I can name dozens of bands who hit their breaking point. Whether that is a literal break up or a breakdown in music quality inside that 10 year range
Some bands leave with grace and energy in their wings; other bands just keep going for the money. Maybe not selling out, that’s an abstract concept for another time. But their music just won’t feel the same, and to some that’s an injustice to fans. You could argue any shifts are due to the artists developing as people and changing their style to reflect that.
The definitive example of this is Oasis. The brotherly music duo breaking up in violence and fire, but the background is more than just one outburst. It always is with breakups; Oasis was full of creative clashes and a tug of war in the bands output. Liam wanted on thing; Noel wanted the other. Their clashing ideas and personalities meant they had to break up, the violence only perpetuated it
A change in ideas and genres usually means a change in the artist which as we’ve seen, causes cracks. It seems Hyden was right; it takes 10 years.
Or in our example’s case, around 7.
Glass beach was a generally indie rock/post-emo band which release their first studio album, the creatively named “First Glass Beach Album” in 2019. This was then followed by the release of several singles and covers, before their finale album “Plastic Death”. The band consisted of members Classic J vocals/guitar, Jonas Newhouse on bass, William White on Drums and Layne Smith on Lead Guitar. In February of 2026, J released a new album under the name You’re an angel called “It’s fine to dream”.
The band broke up on April 30th, and the 4 have gone mostly their separate ways.
Message from glass beach, taking from their X account
Speaking to J about the breakup, It wasn’t dramatic or caused by any bad blood, “I mean, I I'd love to say that there was some, you know, dramatic moment where it kind of broke through… we all were just like, yeah, that's kind of what we're feeling.”
It’s clear Glass Beach broke up for more reasons than most might think. When a band splits we often assume the worse (Oasis, The Smiths, P!ATD). Usually however, the band splits for creative or practical reasons.
With Glass Beach, there were several complications due to Covid. William White caught a terrible case the virus which caused the bands future tour plans to be put on hold and beyond that the band didn’t want to keep making music for the sake of it, because it wouldn’t have been a product they were happy with. “Our choice was either doing this (breaking up) or getting bad”
The interesting thing, according to J, is that It’s fine to dream features recycled (or more accurately upcycled) parts of what could’ve been the third glass beach album. J pointed to both Look, The Same and Industry as songs that would’ve made it on that hypothetical 3rd album. Look itself features Jonas on bass and has some elements put forward by the other Ex-band members.
Bands breaking up is always rough, not just to the fans who must cope with the loss of something they deeply care about, but also the band themselves. To J it feels like and continues to feel like a divorce. Between agreeing on cuts of profits and dissolving their LLC, the band do feel that divorce like split.
When a band like glass beach split, it’s a shame that most fans can’t put into words, but it’s never the end of the story. Members go off and do their own, incredible projects that they themselves are passionate about. After every glass beach shatters, it leaves behind an angel.
Album art for It’s fine to dream by you are an angel
J has begun performing again under her new alias, and is featuring songs from her days with glass beach. She expressed an interested to us at CovFeed regarding a UK/EU tour at some point in the future, so fans across the pond are able to hold out hope.
Bands breakup, it’s a fact of the industry. To say every band only gets 10 good years isn’t wrong but there are so many factors that go into it. Glass beach left with a legacy and a good will between band members that few could ever ask for. So why do bands breakup? because they serve a purpose for the members to produce art, something that means more than just 4 chords. And once the artist is satisfied, is their ever a point in returning to the same canvas.
We asked J if she would’ve done anything differently
“Nah, I wouldn’t”
