Songs Similar to Heat Waves by Glass Animals
Released 2020 · Album: Dreamland · Indie · Nostalgic
"Heat Waves" is by the Oxford band Glass Animals, released in 2020 as a single from their third album, Dreamland. Frontman Dave Bayley wrote and produced it, and you can hear his interest in hip-hop production: a slow, swaying beat, warped and pitch-shifted vocal samples, and soft, woozy synths layered under his breathy, half-falsetto singing. The lyrics are about missing someone during long summer nights and replaying memories, and the music matches that, sounding warm and slightly blurred. Its slow, word-of-mouth rise in popularity over the following year made it one of the band's defining songs.
Songs that sound like "Heat Waves" usually sit at a relaxed tempo with a hip-hop-style groove, use hazy, detuned keyboards and processed vocals, and mix a catchy pop chorus with a sense of longing. Look into psychedelic and bedroom-leaning indie pop from the late 2010s and early 2020s, and artists who blur indie rock with R&B and electronic production.
20 songs similar to “Heat Waves”
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Data: Last.fm, updated 2026-10-11.
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FAQ about “Heat Waves”
What songs are similar to Heat Waves?
The closest matches are mellow, dreamy indie pop songs with hip-hop-influenced beats, woozy synths and wistful lyrics about memory and missing someone, usually at an unhurried, swaying tempo. On our list, the closest matches are “Waterfalls Coming Out Your Mouth” by Glass Animals, “A Tear in Space (Airlock)” by Glass Animals and “What You Know” by Two Door Cinema Club.
Who does Heat Waves sound like?
Glass Animals are often compared to alt-J for their quirky, rhythm-first indie, and to Tame Impala for the hazy psychedelic synths and soft vocals. Foster the People share the sunny-but-sad indie pop approach. Bayley has cited hip-hop and R&B producers as influences, which is why the beat feels closer to Frank Ocean or Kanye-era production than to guitar indie.
Is Heat Waves Indie?
Yes, it is indie, specifically indie pop with psychedelic and electronic touches. Glass Animals came up through the indie scene on Wolf Tone, a label founded by Paul Epworth, and the song's DIY production and textures fit that background. Its massive streaming success put it on mainstream pop radio, so it is also fair to call it pop, but its sound is closer to alternative than chart pop.
How do you find similar songs to Heat Waves?
Follow the texture rather than the genre tag: slowed, swaying beats, pitch-shifted vocal samples, warm detuned synths and a nostalgic summer mood. Dig into the rest of Dreamland, psychedelic pop, chill indie and "bedroom pop" playlists, and artists who mix indie with R&B. SongSimilar's list above ranks matches by listening data, so it shows what fans of "Heat Waves" actually play next.