Happy Out
Having cut their teeth playing bars, parks, festivals and anywhere in between, the noisy, indie-rock trio Happy Out have chiseled themselves into a force to be reckoned with in the Northern Irish scene.
Formed in 2018, The band has expanded the old fashioned way, playing shows across the north coast of Ireland and allowing their music to speak for them. Their sound is defined with blown out amplifiers, screaming vocals and decimated drum kits. Known for their energetic explosions on stage, it’s not unusual to see instruments tossed aside and stages abandoned in favor of jumping into the crowd to blare their untamed choruses. They juxtapose these frantic live performances with their complex and innovative songwriting. This has led to the reputation that Happy Out is ‘one of those acts where you either get it, or you don’t get it.’
The band has found themselves supporting acts like Joe Talbot of Idles, TOUTS, Titus Andronicus, JOHN and Bicurious, As well as appearances across the Stendhal, Earagail Arts and Swell Festivals.The band spent the summer of 2019 in the studio, creating Is, Was, Wasn’t, a concept EP that deals with the aftermath of loss and attempts to make sense of grief. While many songwriters shy away from approaching these subjects, Happy Out once again wear their hearts on their sleeves, refusing to allow stigma to deny them the right to speak their minds. They’ve been named as ones to watch in the 2020 vision article over at EncoreNI, and their name has popped up across sites like Hot Press, Golden Plec and Chordblossom.
During the lockdown of 2020/2021 while eagerly waiting for the return of gigs, Happy Out refocused their energy to produce their second EP “Kaiju” which was announced alongside their latest single “Terry Fox”, which provides a brief yet frank discussion on the debilitating fear of failure. Although a much softer, less visceral sound than their previous releases, this momentary detour from their regular delivery and sonic character promises to be just as sincere as their debut and as passionate as their live shows, while being just a few decibels quieter.
Happy Out played two of the stand out performances at the recent Young Blood Music Festival in Derry. A super tight, hugely entertaining band. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Gareth Stewart, Youngblood, Other Voices
One of the most exciting and original bands I have had the pleasure of seeing in quite a while.
Tony Talbot, former BBC arts correspondent, Celtronic Festival