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Lively alt/indie-pop trio The Happy Fits are on a roll, taking the world by storm, and showing no signs of slowing down. Finally, today, they announce their highly-anticipated third studio album, Under The Shade of Green, available for pre-order now, along with a heavier track, "Do Your Worst" and its accompanying pineapple-filled video.
After an overwhelming turnout at Napa's BottleRock Festival, The Happy Fits will head to Milwaukee for Summerfest before trotting across the pond to Europe and the UK this fall. The Happy Fits will hit Glasgow, UK on October 17th, Manchester and London the following two days and finish in Berlin on October 22nd. The Happy Fits are quickly gaining traction with over 1.75M monthly listeners on Spotify, 25.6K YouTube subscribers and 9.7M YouTube views. Their 2021 What Could Be Better Tour saw 20+ sold out dates from LA to NYC.
Shortly after, the trio will kick off a lengthy full-length tour through November and half of December stretching from the East, to West, and Southern U.S. Beginning in Burlington, VT on November 8th, the band will head through the Midwest, then across the West including three dates in California, and South including three dates in Texas, before concluding in Philadelphia, PA on December 18. Find a full list of dates below, with tickets on sale now via thehappyfits.com/tour.
The third studio album, Under The Shade of Green, is a moment of processing the last two years for each of the three band members, and invites listeners to join them. In typical Happy Fits fashion, however, the band blends serious subject matter with inescapable hooks and melodies, beaming instrumentation and unparalleled charm.
More than ever, the last two years have exposed colossal systemic failures throughout the world and Calvin Langman (lead vocals/electric cellist) says the album created space to better understand his role within it. "This album is how I’ve been processing the trauma of the past two years, from the pandemic, to climate change, to the rise of fascism, to BLM, to finding my place in this broken world. As there aren’t many who are left unshaken, I hope everyone can find something dark in here to relate to."
Ross Monteith (guitarist/vocals) adds that in addition to their processing, it offers a place of refuge, healing and cathartic release. "It ranges from small anxieties to existential crises. It was written as a sort of therapeutic way of releasing these emotions that, seemingly, a lot of us have dealt with. It is a reminder for us to stay positive, overcome bad habits, and conquer our fears."
This time, the band's creative process on the album lasted almost six months within the walls of their Brooklyn studio. Together five days a week, they were able to bounce ideas around, work on demos and hone their sound like never before. Luke Davis (drums) says in addition to giving the cello a spotlight in a new way, the band has evolved their sound to fit who they are today. "From the catchy melodies to the insane guitar riffs and cello parts, we have expanded our sound in a way that wouldn’t have been possible for us in the past. While still having The Happy Fits feel, a lot of these songs have very driven instrumental melodies."
After the pandemic hit, Langman, like many, deeply struggled both with facing the reality of moving back in with his parents, and with confronting problems within relationships in his life. The track allows Langman to release any excess pain and negativity he had been carrying. Explaining what inspired the track, Langman explains,"There was this overall feeling of disappointment I had for someone I once really respected. Everyone has their empathetic boundaries, and when you reach yours and have to cut off a person, it doesn’t feel good any way you slice it. I needed this song to channel all this negative energy into so as to not let it come to a head."
Today's release, "Do Your Worst," aptly concludes the 12-track LP as it is equal parts heavy, emotional and momentous. It touches on many of the album's themes, including shedding bad habits. Monteith adds, "This song reflects what can happen to someone when they let these bad habits, these anxieties, these hardships of life weigh them down. It can affect everyone around you. It is a good reminder to ourselves to keep pushing forward and to not let these bad habits win."
Fruit has remained a central theme in The Happy Fits discography since the beginning, and today's release is no different as it cleverly expands their role, this time, featuring pineapples. The accompanying visual for "Do Your Worst," directed by Joe Lee and Christian Strevy, imagines a world where pineapples are made illegal by the U.S. government, and the trio finds themselves illegally distributing them, making significant profits, and on the run from the "Drug Enforcement Administration". Much like past releases, the video puts the trio's whimsy and dedication to fun on full display, coming second of course, to their musicality and irresistible hooks and instrumentation.
Lee and Strevy reunite with the band after previously working on "She Wants Me (To Be Loved)" a four-shot video made at the beginning of the pandemic. The latest "Do Your Worst," was shot over two days, with almost 300 shots and 40 pineapples, bouncing between houses, venues and motels after their 12-week tour.
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