Alice Glass

Biography

Margaret Osborn (born 25 August 1988), known professionally as Alice Glass, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the co-founder and former frontwoman of the electronic band Crystal Castles. In 2014, she embarked on a solo career. She released her eponymous debut EP in 2017. Her solo debut album, Prey//IV×PREY//IV28 January 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1PREY2:212PINNED BENEATH LIMBS1:573LOVE IS VIOLENCE2:384BABY TEETH2:265EVERYBODY ELSE3:496THE HUNTED2:477FAIR GAME2:478WITCH HUNT2:599SUFFER AND SWALLOW2:5410SUFFER IN PEACE1:4811ANIMOSITY2:5012I TRUSTED YOU2:2913SORROW ENDS1:00, was released in February 2022.

1988–2014: early life and Crystal Castles

Alice Glass was born Margaret Osborn on 25 August 1988 in Toronto, Ontario. She was raised Catholic, attending parochial school up until junior high. At age 15, she ran away from home to live in a squat community of punks under the name Vicki Vale after the comic book character of the same name and started an all-girl experimental punk band called Fetus Fatale. In December 2003, she and Ethan Kath began working together on the project that would become Crystal Castles. She picked the stage name Alice Glass based on a pin with the name Alice that she shoplifted and Hopey Glass, a character in Love and Rockets.

Crystal Castles' first official release was their 2006 single "Alice Practice". The song got the band their first record deal with Merok Records in London. The same year, Crystal Castles played their first live show at Clinton's Tavern in Toronto. "Alice Practice" was eventually featured on their eponymous debut album released in 2008. Glass topped NME's Cool List that year and responded to it by criticizing the idea of the cool list itself. The duo followed their debut album with two more critically acclaimed albums, II (2010) and III (2012), completing a trilogy. Glass co-wrote every Crystal Castles song she contributed vocals to.
In October 2014, Glass announced her departure from Crystal Castles due to her own professional and personal reasons. In the announcement, she noted that working within the band compromised her efforts towards "sincerity, honesty, and empathy for others". She later had a number of public disagreements with her former bandmate, including accusing him of assault and sexual misconduct.

2015–2017: solo singles and lawsuit

In July 2015, Glass released her debut single as a solo artist, "Stillbirth×Stillbirth18 July 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Stillbirth2:47". The release was largely an effort to increase awareness of domestic and sexual abuse. Glass worked with anti-sexual assault organization RAINN to donate all proceeds from the song's revenue to aid abuse victims.
In August 2017, Glass released "Without Love×Without Love10 August 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Without Love3:56", which served as the lead single to her eponymous debut EP which was released the following week.
That same year, Alice Glass was added as the opening act for Marilyn Manson on the Heaven Upside Down Tour to support the album of the same name. However, the tour was wrought with safety issues. On September 29, during an encore performance of "The Beautiful People" at the Stage AE in Pittsburgh, Manson broke his ankle after jumping from the stage to sing with fans who were standing near the barricade. After the vocalist crawled back on-stage, the band abruptly abandoned the song. However, they resumed when Manson invited Glass on stage to take over vocals.
The following night, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City during a performance of "Sweet Dreams", a large 750 kg – approximately 1650lbs – stage prop consisting of two oversized pistols attached via metal scaffolding fell on Manson, breaking his fibula in two places and knocking the singer unconscious for 15 minutes on stage until Manson was carried out on a stretcher to a nearby hospital.
The following nine dates of the North American leg were immediately cancelled, with the remaining October shows gradually cancelled over the next week. All of these shows – excluding festival appearances – were rescheduled for the beginning of 2018. On October 19th, Alice Glass posted on Facebook that she would not be returning to the rescheduled North American tour dates the following year, teasing her own future tour, and instead playing a show of her own at The Observatory North Park in San Diego on October 24.
In October 2017, Glass posted a statement on her official website explaining her departure from Crystal Castles, and accused co-founder Ethan Kath of sexual, physical, and mental abuse. The accusations detailed that the claimed abuse started when Glass was 15 and began recording with Kath and escalated until her eventual departure from Crystal Castles. Kath responded the same day in a statement issued to Pitchfork through his attorney, where he called the accusations "pure fiction" and said he was consulting with his lawyers as to his legal options. The following month, Kath sued Glass for defamation, but this was dismissed in February 2018. In May, Glass was awarded nearly US$21,000 in attorney fees after Kath's lawyers sought to vacate the dismissal of his defamation lawsuit against Glass.

2018–2020: non-album single releases

In January 2018, Glass released "Forgiveness" as the second single from her EP. That month, she also released a single called "Cease and Desist×CEASE AND DESIST23 January 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1CEASE AND DESIST1:54", which she said "is a call to arms for all survivors". Both singles were accompanied by music videos.
In April 2018, Glass embarked on her SnowBlood Tour alongside American singer Zola Jesus, with electronic musician Pictureplane being an opening act on select dates. The tour is named after Lady Snowblood, spurned star of the eponymous 1973 Japanese film. Later that month, Glass released a remix EP, consisting of remixes of songs from her eponymous EP released in 2017. The EP includes remixes from both Zola Jesus and Pictureplane.
In June 2018, Glass released a new single, "Mine", accompanied by a music video directed by Lucas David and starring American drag queen Violet Chachki.
In December 2018, Glass was featured on Adult Swim's singles series with a new song titled "I Trusted You×I Trusted You21 December 2018 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Trusted You2:29".

Throughout 2020, Alice Glass released "Nightmares×NIGHTMARES23 September 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1NIGHTMARES2:12" and a remix of "Rajadão by Pabllo Vittar with experimental label Sermon 3 Recordings. "Nightmares" was later also re-released on label compilation album, Sermon 4 Anniversary. Later that year, Glass revealed that she does not receive appropriate royalties from her work in Crystal Castles. She disavowed her tenure in the band and asked fans to cease their support of the group.

2021: Prey//IV

Glass released the single "Suffer and Swallow×SUFFER AND SWALLOW6 January 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1SUFFER AND SWALLOW2:53" on 6 January 2021, which was the first song she shared from her solo debut album. The song was accompanied by a stop-motion music video by Lucas David.
Glass had a guest appearance on Alice Longyu Gao's single "Legend×LEGEND27 May 2021 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1LEGEND (Alg mix)1:542LEGEND2:38" which was released on 27 May 2021.
On 19 November 2021, Glass unveiled the title and shared the track listing of her solo debut album Prey//IV×PREY//IV28 January 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1PREY2:212PINNED BENEATH LIMBS1:573LOVE IS VIOLENCE2:384BABY TEETH2:265EVERYBODY ELSE3:496THE HUNTED2:477FAIR GAME2:478WITCH HUNT2:599SUFFER AND SWALLOW2:5410SUFFER IN PEACE1:4811ANIMOSITY2:5012I TRUSTED YOU2:2913SORROW ENDS1:00 and announced a release date of 28 January 2022 on her own Eating Glass Records. The announcement was accompanied the single "Baby Teeth×BABY TEETH19 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1BABY TEETH2:26", which had by a music video by Astra Zero and Lucas David.
On 8 December 2021, Glass premiered the single "Fair Game×FAIR GAME8 December 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1FAIR GAME2:47" accompanied by a music video directed by Bryan M. Ferguson.
On 28 January 2022, Glass released "Love Is Violence×LOVE IS VIOLENCE28 January 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1LOVE IS VIOLENCE2:38", after the album's release was delayed to February. The single was accompanied by a music video by Bryan M. Ferguson. The early 2000s-inspired video depicts two teenagers who sensually pull out each other's entrails.
Upon the album's release on the 16 February 2022, Glass premiered a music video for "Everybody Else" directed by Astra Zero.
Dazed described the album: "The extreme pop album is rammed with vivid portrayals of body horror, where eerie soundscapes intertwine with distorted and warped synths, accompanied by a drum loop that punctuates the tracks. These rough dissonances create a claustrophobic panorama, while Glass’ lyrics overlay descriptions of violent fantasies."

2022–present: Recent activities

On 21 September 2022, Glass released a new single, "Lips Apart×Lips Apart21 September 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Lips Apart3:26". On 18 April 2024, Glass released a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins song "Drown×Drown18 April 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Drown3:01," produced by Jupiter Keyes. This cover track was later featured on the covers album,
Sending Hearts to All My Dearies: A Tribute to the Smashing Pumpkins released on August 14, 2026 by Sumerian Records, featuring artists such as Tame Impala, Barns Courtney, Nita Strauss and Palaye Royale.
On 21 June 2024, Glass released a new single, "Remains×REMAINS21 June 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1REMAINS2:27", featuring New York-based musician Clip. The same day, a visualizer was also released on Glass's YouTube channel.
In November 2025, Glass released "MERCY KILL×MERCY KILL21 November 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube MusicTracklist · 1 track1MERCY KILL2:30" which Margaret Farrell of Stereo Gum described as having "demonic vocals, crackles of skittering percussion, and pearlescent synths". The single previews a "larger project" due in 2026.
The single was featured on the Alternative Press "A-sides: 10 new songs you have to hear" list for the week of November 21, 2025.