ERRA released the single “House of Glass” on November 19, 2020, through UNFD. The song followed “Snowblood” into the rollout for the band’s self-titled album, pairing an intricate arrangement with lyrics about political division and personal distress. Its official visualizer extended that uneasy atmosphere through glitch effects made with hand-modified circuits and reclaimed analog machines.
Guitarist and vocalist Jesse Cash told Revolver that the lyrics began with two concerns: the sensational treatment of suicide and the intensity of partisan allegiance. He wondered whether polarization surrounding the 2016 election and its aftermath had contributed to depression and suicidal feelings. Those questions drove his writing, connecting the song’s individual suffering with the wider political climate.
The arrangement demanded its own prolonged attention. In a March 2021 interview with V13, Cash described growing more interested in rhythmic complexity alongside ERRA’s intricate lead guitar work. “That song took me the most work out of all of them on the record,” he said. He and drummer Alex Ballew were exploring how unusual guitar patterns could work with drums that maintained a groove.
Cash rearranged “House of Glass” extensively, at one point exchanging its verse and bridge. He spent roughly six weeks concentrating on it and “Shadow Autonomous.” The finished song also challenged his picking technique: its 130-beat-per-minute tempo and rapid movement between low and high strings required precise muting to keep unwanted notes from ringing out.
The process varied sharply across the album. Cash told Guitar World in March 2021 that he wrote every guitar part for “Snowblood,” including its solo, during a single 15-hour day. For the broader record, he wanted technical playing that listeners could still follow, with room for different moods across the songs. He described avoiding the pressure of expectations as central to enjoying the work. That goal accommodated both a song that arrived in one concentrated burst and another that needed weeks of revision.
The sessions were already complete when the pandemic intervened. Cash said tracking finished the day before a state of emergency was declared, so the shutdowns hadn’t interrupted recording. He also described using a Kemper to record the guitars, with different amp sounds blended into the final tone.
The material marked ERRA’s move to UNFD. The band announced that signing in August 2020 alongside “Snowblood,” placing “House of Glass” in the opening stretch of the partnership. Cash explained to UNRAVELED in April 2021 that choosing the band’s name for the album reflected how strongly they felt about the songs. Simplifying the visuals was part of the same decision to keep attention on the music.
The fifth studio album, ERRA, arrived on March 19, 2021. “House of Glass” occupied the fourth position on its 12-song track list, immediately before “Shadow Autonomous.”
