Happyness

Trained in London in 2013, Happyness sits in a lineage of alternative rock and indie rock marked by a taste for nonchalant melodies, muffled guitars and writing that blends detachment, discreet humor and pop references. The band initially forms around Jon E E Allan, Benji Compston and Ash Kenazi, with a self-released first EP in the same year, before releasing Weird Little Birthday in 2014, followed by a reissue in 2015 by Moshi Moshi in the United Kingdom and Bar/None in the United States. Happyness then develops a sound that borrows as much from slacker rock as from lo‑fi pop, with tracks at relaxed tempos, sober harmonies and a deliberately unshowy approach. The second album, Write In, was released in 2017 after the EP Tunnel Vision On Your Part appeared in 2016, at a time when the band was touring with acts from the British and North American indie scenes. In 2019, Benji Compston left Happyness, which continued its journey with Jon E E Allan and Ash Kenazi. The third album, Floatr, appeared in 2020 and continued this aesthetic between indie rock, melancholic pop and pared-back arrangements.