Glom: Shimmering Riffs

By artfully combining atmospheric melodies with anthemic choruses and gritty guitar riffs, Glom has built a dedicated fan following since first appearing on the scene in 2018.

As well as garnering much acclaim for its live shows, Glom’s sound is distinctive and unique, evoking the best of ‘90s alternative rock, coupled with shoegaze sensibilities, classic rock melodies and introspective lyrical storytelling.

We’ve been fans for a long time, since first hearing Glom’s debut album ‘Bond’ back in 2019. The even more impressive 'Merit' followed in 2020. Now, hot on the heels of a trio of singles that dropped in 2024 － including the hugely popular ‘Glass’ and our personal favourite ‘Below’ － Glom is gearing up to unveil its latest LP. We can't wait.

We wanted to know more. We got in touch.

While the line-up of this Brooklyn-based alt rock project has evolved over time, it remains, at its core, a group of mates who met at high school. Given Glom has a lot going on currently, we were incredibly lucky to blag a quick chat with frontman, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member, Sean Dunnevant. 

A multitalented musician and lifelong Beatles fan, whose first band was a Beatles covers band he started in school, Sean had much to say about Glom, it’s history and highlights, and his writing and recording process. 

For Beatles, bootlegs, blankets and biryani, read on!

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Hey, Sean. Thanks for taking our questions. Please describe Glom for us.

SEAN DUNNEVANT － Glom is shimmering riffs and approachable melodies that lay heavy on your chest because of the heavy and consistent groove. I’ve always wanted Glom to sound like a weighted blanket. I don’t want to make songs that are too complicated. I try to write songs that can be understood by anyone. I don’t like when music makes me feel dumb.

I saw a tweet the other day where someone asked － I’m gonna paraphrase － 'Is your band’s genre actually hard to describe or are you ashamed to say you’re an alternative rock band?’ To that I say, Glom is a proud alternative rock band.

Zooming in with a microscope, I think you can hear slivers of My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, and The Beatles sprinkled in.

How did Glom get started?

The original iteration of Glom started in 2018. My original songwriting partner and I started the band with our two childhood friends; one of which, Sahil Ansari, I still work with on the production side to this day. 

On the new record, not released yet, all the instruments were played by me, besides the drums which were played by Jordan Wolff. The current live band is me on guitar and vocals, Jordan on drums, Peter Wagner on bass guitar, and Johan Crandall on synth.

Which tracks best typify what Glom’s about?

I’m not just saying this because they’re the top Glom tracks on Spotify, but I really feel proud of ‘Glass’, ‘I Wanted the Real Thing’, and ‘Below’. Those three show the range of what Glom is all about.

They all have, in my opinion, powerful riffs and pretty similar song structures but vastly different moods, all the while staying true to the sound and aesthetic that came to be organically. 

Tell us about your first Glom gig.

The first show was at my friend’s fashion show in New Hampshire in 2018. For the most part everything went fine, but the people who ran the venue got mad at us for being loud.

What’s been your biggest highlight so far?

Last summer, we played a festival in Ocean City, Maryland, called Ocean’s Calling. It was the biggest show we’ve ever played.

The sickest part for me was that people were selling bootleg festival merch that had the line-up, including Glom, on the back. The festival also had official merch, but I just love how there are people out there wearing the first bootleg Glom shirts.

Do you have a favourite track to perform live?

I love playing ‘Glass’ and two as yet unreleased songs, called ‘Windows’ and ‘Late to the Party’ respectively. I think the Glom live show is very powerful as a whole, but currently I’ve connected with those three the most. I really pour myself into their performances.

Please talk us through your typical songwriting process.

Here goes, from start to finish:

1. Play guitar while watching TV.
2. When a riff catches your ear, record a voice memo of said riff.
3. After the riff is recorded, immediately try to sing a melody to the chord progression.
4. If a melody materialises effortlessly, proceed to step 6.
5. If a melody does not materialise, move on.
6. Record a demo on computer. This will become the blueprint for the official recording. That is unless [producer] Sahil hates the aesthetic! It happens.
7. Finish the form but don’t finish the lyrics. Write one verse, one pre-chorus, one chorus only.
8. Months later, record it for real. Let the ideas and layers flow. You can always strip away later. Finish the final lyrics and form in studio.
9. Take a little bit of time after tracking to listen to it again.
10. Don’t overthink the mix. It’ll be fine.

The last step is the hardest part for me.

What advice do you have for someone starting out in music?

Play what the song needs, not what makes you feel important.

If you could be in any other band, at any time, which would it be?

It’d be sick to be in The Beatles in the height of Beatlemania. They’re so ubiquitous with western culture that I feel like we neglect the fact that there was no one who had ever touched that level of success as a musician at the time.

It’d probably be stressful to be in that band but also probably really fun to be flown around to shows and not have to worry about sounding good because no one could hear you anyways.

Yeah, drowned out by screaming fans. Give us an unexpected bonus of band life.

Days off on tour are really fun. It’s an excuse to be on a semi-vacation with your friends.

What's the worst thing about band life?

Flopping a show is pretty awkward, but you gotta dust yourself off and try again the next time.

Other than The Beatles, who are your musical heroes?

Aphex Twin, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, and Yuck’s first album. 

As well as Yuck's first album, give us three more everyone should own.

‘Please Please Me’ by The Beatles, ‘Rather Ripped’ by Sonic Youth, and ‘Drukqs’ by Aphex Twin.

Great choices. What’s the best way to start the day?

I can’t start my day without a pot or two of coffee with some half and half. I’m as much of a coffee snob as any transplant to Brooklyn. I got a 5-cup coffeemaker on Black Friday for $16.99!

I’m also trying to read 24 books in 2025, so I also like to read for a bit before doing anything else.

Imagine, if you will, you’re on Death Row. What are you having for your last meal?

Paneer Tikka Masala and chicken biryani. Spicy!

And delicious. Thanks so much for answering our questions. We've been fans for a long time. What’s next for Glom?

Thank you, you have phenomenal taste. There’s a new record coming, then a covers EP, then another record after that. Also a bunch of shows.

Lots happening. Any Glom dreams that remain unfulfilled?

I wanna write a screenplay of my favourite book, called Stoner, and then score the movie.

Is that the John Williams novel? That’s a great book. Cheers, Sean. Any final words or a message for your fans?

Thanks for reading and thanks for following along!

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▶︎ Glom is streaming now on Spotify, Apple Music and elsewhere.

▶︎ Photography by Kayla Lam Nguyen