glass beach was formed in 2016 by singer/songwriter j (Casio Dad/Classic J), and her then-roommates William White and Jonas Newhouse (8 bit Johnson). They proceeded to spend the next 3 years writing, recording, and rerecording several songs which would eventually become their debut, "the first glass beach album." Shortly after the album's release, Layne Smith of Here Lies the Hero joined the group, originally to play lead guitar for live shows, but has since become a core member of the band.