The Happy Fits are making their way along the East Coast this month as part of their Under the Shade of Green tour. The New Jersey trio with a pop/indie rock style of music has climbed up in the industry the past few years – even the pandemic couldn’t stop their upsurge.
They have grabbed attention with their hit songs “Hold Me Down,” “While You Fade Away,” “Changes,” “Go Dumb,” “What Could Be Better,” “So Alright, Cool, Whatever,” and “Do Your Worst.”
The Happy Fits – who claim to be influenced by The Killers, Violent Femmes, and Alabama Shakes – consist of Calvin Langman (vocals and cellist), Ross Monteith (guitarist), and Luke Davis (drums). Formed in 2016, the trio was high school classmates and thanks to an amazing graduation gift from Monteith’s parents, the band members recorded their four-song EP, “Awfully Apeelin,’” in their senior year.
With a bit of luck – thanks to some unique graphics, we’ll say, and of course being very talented individuals – the song “While You Fade Away” was stumbled upon by music writer Tyler Miranda, who passed it on to Spotify. The song instantly became a success, and within three days of streaming had reached number five on Spotify’s Top 50 Viral in the USA, and then number 17 on their Top 50 Viral Global Charts. In a happy turn of events, the band ended up hiring Miranda as their manager for a stint.
Since the EP, The Happy Fits have recorded three full-length albums: “Concentrate,” “What Could Be Better,” and “Under the Shade of Green.” The band took advantage of social media and attribute it to their ability to maintain an upward momentum in the music industry, and their ability to continue to connect with their fan base during the pandemic. Using YouTube and Twitch to livestream with their fans, The Happy Fits created a “crazy variety show” atmosphere which proved to go over well. They also took this downtime to create quirky and fun music videos for all the songs on their second album, “What Could Be Better.”
When commenting on their newest album, “Under the Shade of Green,” the band says it reflects their “changing perspectives through the last few years – how they’ve grown, what they’ve learned, and how to face the uncertainties that are yet to come.” Langman said the overall theme of the album is a “metaphor for what we are all seeing and not talking enough about.”
Overall, the album has a way of taking important, serious subject matter and presents it in a way that one can better understand and relate to, while finding refuge and solace while making you feel alive.
OC Music News will catch up with The Happy Fits at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC on December 13th. They will wrap up their tour after stops in Washington DC, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia later that week.
