Let Em' Talk: Happy Hollows talk us through their new album ' Craver'

 

You've got to adapt to survive sometimes; Charles Darwin knew it and so did that guy he ripped off (allegedly). For bands and artists to survive for nearly 20 years in this industry, evolution is a must - especially if you're not playing to thousands of people a night after album 2. Happy Hollows have been going for almost 2 decades now and can certainly not be considered a household name. Despite that, the band have adjusted their blueprint throughout their career and have never been afraid of experimentation and trying to forge a new sound for themselves. They're NNWNF favourites and we think they should be massive.

 Based in L.A -  the entertainment capital of the world - and fronted by the eccentric and charismatic guitarist Sarah Negahdari, the band are completed by multi-instrumentalist Charlie Mahoney and another talented guitarist in Scott Munro; who originally hails from Northern Ireland. Craver is the band's fourth studio album after 2009's Spells, 2013's Amethyst and 2017's Concordia and sees the band moving into hitherto uncharted sonic territories. We got the band to talk us through the new album track-by-track.  

1) Great Unknown

We got weird with this one. We wanted to start the album with a beautiful chaos via an art-punk sound. The song celebrates embracing a new future in which so much is uncertain. Electronic drums, eccentric synths, post-punk guitars and strange vocal effects make for an energetic and classically Happy Hollows opener. This was the first single from the album and we hope to release a video for it soon, it's currently being edited.

2) Summer is Over

It's Jamie XX meets Kate Bush with flowing guitar lines throughout, that's what we were going for. We made this breezy and uplifting number with drummer Garrett Ray (Vampire Weekend, Cass McCombs). The song is about letting go of something, or someone, you loved and entering a new chapter whilst trying not to look back.

3) Shake

It's a mid-tempo stomp with a looping synth riff and a plodding, but infectious groove. 'Shake' is definitely a band favourite. We say stomp because the synth loop has creates that feel and we had a laugh extracting the weirdset sounds we could (aka 'genks) from the same guitar at the same time, which you'll hear dotted throughout. We promise you'll be rewardedat the end with a massive crescendo and soaring counter melody. Scott's very pleased with the guitar work on it. Garrett played drums on this one too. 

4) Prowler

This is an upbeat dance song at heart with a guitar solo outro. It's indie-dance with a razor sharp edge and Sarah's layered vocal topline weave in and out of the synth arpeggios. It took us ages to make this one, we went through countless iterations but we are really happy with the result. The song is one of the most dance influenced we've done and pushes us towards that direction. It'll definitely be a live staple.

5) A Message 

A tender electronic ballad with a minimal pulsating synth and a droning reverb-laden guitar in the background. Sarah's lush vocals ride delicate waves here and hit the right emotional notes; it can be a right tear-jerker if you're not careful.

6) Postcard From Tokyo

Starts off in a ballad format with Sarah's delicate melody, but then kicks in with an explosive, dense chorus. Charlie's synths come in at all angles and we wanted a shoegaze guitar sound to create a blanket of sound. It was a fragile balance, but I felt we really got it right here. 

7)  Craver

The title track for the album. This one is more experimental than usual; Charlie used synth loops from a vintage Roland Juno 60 synth and this added to the abstract guitar lines. Sarah's vocal melody here is also quite robotic and that fits the backing beautifully. She put down the mic for the chorus and replaces it with a giant guitar riff - we've never had a vocal-less chorus before, but it sounds great. The video (see above) was directed by Scott and is as playful as the song; it features Alfie the dog. 

8) Maybe The World Is Ending

This was the 2nd single from the album and we recorded this just before the Covid lockdown in 2020. Sarah's lyrics convey how many felt at the time and her own desire to anchor within and to her partner "..during a time when the world seems to be changing so dramatically." Despite the volatility which birther the song, a warm sentiment is delivered via a graceful synth melody, lush guitars and a hevenly choir of 'ghost-girl' vocals to conclude. See the video below.

9) Two Coconuts

This was the first song we recorded for the album and Scott's first ever official Happy Hollows recording. The synths, vocals and guitar make for an exceptionally fun, light-hearted and uplifting sound. It was recorded by Dave Newton (ex- The Mighty Lemon Drops), who also produced our debut album Spells. Our original drummer Chris Hernandez is on this too.

10) My Gray Crayon

The album closes with this sombre, minimal, electronica-inspired song; it's got echoes of Portishead about it. It's quite a sad song, but steps foot into the kind of sonic territory we've never really ventured into. Maybe it's a taste of what to expect on the next album. Sarah sings about being "locked in a raindrop" which creates a magical image. The song closes with a soaring, feral slide guitar solo from Scott which we think serves as natural cadence to the album.

 

You can follow Happy Hollows on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Buy directly from the band at their Bandcamp.