Supergroups are usually a massive letdown. They promise a lot on paper, look great in a press release, and then produce a record that sounds like five people fighting for the loudest volume knob. But Isles & Glaciers was different. They were the "lightning in a bottle" moment for a specific era of MySpace-core and post-hardcore that honestly hasn’t been replicated since.
When you look at the Isles & Glaciers members, it’s basically a fever dream of 2009 alternative music. You had the high-pitched, soaring hooks of Craig Owens and Vic Fuentes clashing against the gritty, experimental energy of Jonny Craig. It shouldn’t have worked. Most people expected an ego-driven disaster. Instead, we got The Hearts of Lonely People, an EP that people are still dissecting over a decade later. It’s weird to think that a group of guys who only spent about ten days together in a studio in Seattle could create something that defines a whole subgenre's peak.
Who Were the Isles & Glaciers Members?
The lineup was stacked. It wasn't just a couple of lead singers; it was a curated collection of the best instrumentalists and vocalists in the scene at the time.
The vocal trio is what everyone remembers first. You had Craig Owens (Chiodos, D.R.U.G.S.), Vic Fuentes (Pierce The Veil), and Jonny Craig (Dance Gavin Dance, Emarosa). That is a lot of personality for one microphone. Owens brought that theatrical, almost frantic energy he perfected in Chiodos. Vic provided the melodic, pop-sensible glue. Jonny Craig? He brought the soul. Say what you want about his personal history—and there is plenty to say—but his vocal performance on tracks like "Clush" is arguably some of the best work of his career.
But the "Isles" part of the band—the atmosphere—came from the guys behind the instruments.
- Nick Martin: He was in Underminded at the time, later joining Sleeping with Sirens. He handled guitars and some backing vocals.
- Brian Southall: Formerly of The Receiving End of Sirens. He was the secret weapon, handling guitars, keyboards, and a lot of the programming that gave the EP its glitchy, electronic pulse.
- Matt Goddard: The bassist from Chiodos, providing a solid foundation so the guitars could wander.
- Mike Fuentes: Vic’s brother and the drummer for Pierce The Veil. His drumming style, which often leans into technical flourishes without being "metalcore," kept the tempo from feeling stagnant.
It’s actually a miracle they ever got in the same room. By 2008 and 2009, Chiodos and Pierce The Veil were touring machines. Dance Gavin Dance was constantly in a state of flux. Finding a gap in those schedules was a nightmare.
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The Chemistry of Conflict
Most people assume the Isles & Glaciers members were all best friends. That’s not exactly true. They were peers who respected each other, sure, but the tension is what made the music interesting.
There’s a specific grit to the EP. It doesn't sound over-produced like a lot of the "Rise-core" stuff that came out a few years later. Part of that is thanks to Casey Bates, the producer. He’s the guy who did All's Well That Ends Well for Chiodos and the early Portugal. The Man records. He knew how to capture chaos.
When they recorded at his studio in Seattle, they weren't exactly working with a massive budget or a six-month window. It was a sprint. They were writing on the fly. You can hear it in the way the vocals overlap. It’s not always a clean "verse-chorus-verse" structure. Sometimes Owens and Craig are singing over each other in different keys, creating this weird, beautiful dissonance. It felt like a true collaboration where everyone was trying to outdo the person standing next to them.
Honestly, the lyrics were kind of secondary to the vibe. They were emotive, vague, and perfect for a Tumblr caption. But the sound—that mix of triple-threat vocals and glitch-pop electronics—was the real draw.
Why They Never Made a Second Album
It’s the question that still pops up on Reddit every few months: "Will Isles & Glaciers ever come back?"
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The short answer is no. The long answer is "absolutely not."
The Isles & Glaciers members have moved on in ways that make a reunion nearly impossible. For one, the scene has changed. The "supergroup" era of the late 2000s (think Sound of Animals Fighting or Isles) relied on a very specific industry ecosystem that doesn't really exist now.
Secondly, the interpersonal dynamics are... complicated. Vic and Mike Fuentes went on to make Pierce The Veil one of the biggest rock bands in the world. They don't need a side project. Craig Owens has cycled through various iterations of Chiodos, solo work as badXchannels, and D.R.U.G.S. Jonny Craig’s career has been a rollercoaster of scandals, departures, and various solo projects that make a professional reunion with high-profile artists like Vic Fuentes a PR nightmare for any label involved.
There was a brief moment in 2014 when a "remix" version of the EP was released, and rumors swirled. But it was just a way to keep the masters alive. The members themselves have gone on record multiple times saying that Isles & Glaciers was a one-time deal. It was a snapshot of a moment in time when all those guys happened to be in the same orbit.
The Impact on Post-Hardcore
If you listen to bands like Polyphia, Sleep Token, or even modern Bring Me The Horizon, you can hear the DNA of what Isles & Glaciers was doing. They were among the first in that specific scene to really embrace the "glitch" aesthetic. They weren't afraid to use synthesizers and programmed drums alongside heavy guitars.
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Before them, post-hardcore was mostly about being "raw." Isles & Glaciers made it okay to be "produced." They showed that you could have three lead singers and not have it sound like a boy band. They proved that the genre could be experimental without losing its "pop" appeal.
Identifying the Best Tracks
If you’re just discovering them, don't just hit shuffle. There are only seven songs (including the intro), so it’s a quick listen.
"Clush" is the standout. It’s the one everyone knows. It perfectly balances the three vocalists. Jonny Craig’s "Ooh, I’m not coming home tonight" line is iconic in the scene.
"Viola Lion" shows off the more technical side of the musicians. The guitar work here is underrated. It’s twitchy and nervous, which matches Craig Owens' vocal delivery perfectly.
"Hills Like White Elephants" (yes, named after the Hemingway story) is the slow burn. It shows they weren't just about high-energy choruses. They could do atmosphere, too.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re a fan of the Isles & Glaciers members and you’re looking for that same "scratch" for your ears, don't just wait for a reunion that isn't coming.
- Check out the solo work of Brian Southall. He was the architect of a lot of the electronic sounds. His work in The Receiving End of Sirens is essential listening if you like the "experimental" side of Isles.
- Listen to "The Sound of Animals Fighting." If you liked the "many vocalists, one goal" vibe, this is the other legendary supergroup of that era. It features members of Circa Survive and Rx Bandits. It’s weirder, but it occupies a similar space in the history of the genre.
- Track down the "remixed" version of the EP. It was released a few years after the original. Some fans hate it because it changes the "vibe," but it’s an interesting look at how those songs could have evolved if the band had stayed together into the EDM-heavy mid-2010s.
- Watch the "behind the scenes" studio footage. There are old videos on YouTube of them in the studio in Seattle. It’s grainy, 2009-era footage, but it gives you a real sense of the "lightning in a bottle" energy they had. You can see them arguing over vocal lines and laughing—it’s a reminder that they were just kids who happened to be incredibly talented.
The legacy of these musicians isn't just in this one EP. It's in how they influenced the entire trajectory of alternative music. They taught a generation of musicians that you don't have to stay in your lane. You can be in a heavy band and a pop band and an experimental band all at the same time. You just have to be willing to get in a room and see what happens.