Happy (band)

Happy (stylized in Japan as HAPPY) is a five piece independent Japanese band from Ayabe, Kyoto that formed in 2012. Performing a mix of indie pop and psychedelic pop music, the band sings exclusively in English. In 2014 they released their debut album Hello.

Happy
OriginAyabe, Kyoto, Japan
Genresindie rock, psychedelic pop
Years active2012—present
LabelsHappy Records
MembersAlec, Ric, Syu, Bob, Chew
Websitehappyofficial.com

Biography

The band formed in January 2012 in Ayabe, Kyoto when childhood friends Alec, Ric, Syu and Bob decided to create a band.[1][2] Alec, Ric and Bob had gone to the same elementary school, and met Syu in junior high school. All four of the band members were a part of their school's basketball club, and performed their first live concert on a float for their town Ayabe's Christmas parade, in junior high school.[3]

After giving up music for a while because of how busy basketball club was making them, Alex, Bob and Syu reformed as a three-member band, inspired by the music of The Doors.[3] Ric joined the band later, performing keyboards, and the group became more interested in psychedelic music, as well as the music of The Velvet Underground and Pink Floyd's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) when they continued to play through their high school years.[3] In their final years of high school, the band members became friends with Koji Shimotsu of the band Odotte Bakari no Kuni, who introduced them to more recent musical acts such as Justice and Gorillaz, heavily influencing the band's sound.[3]

Chew joined the band in 2012, when the group officially became Happy. He had known the other members after meeting them at basketball matches between their high schools. When the members were still living in Ayabe, they went to stay at Chew's apartment in Osaka when they performed live concerts in Osaka and Kobe, eventually leading Chew to join the band.[3] In 2013 performed at the Summer Sonic Festival,[1] and in March 2014 performed a tour in the United States with Japan Nite, an event organized by South by Southwest.[4][5]

The band released their first single in March 2014 exclusively to Tower Records stores, Sun, featuring the songs "Lift this Weight" and "Win Key Gun".[6] This was followed by a double A-side single "Wake Up" / "Lucy" in June, also exclusive to Tower Records.[7] These singles led up to the release of their debut album Hello in October 2014, released under their own independent label Happy Records. In May 2015, the band released a follow-up extended play To the Next, led by the song "R.A.D.I.O.". In September 2015, Happy released a collaboration EP with electronic band 80kidz.[8]

Artistry

The band are inspired by 1960s and 1970s Western music.[1] Each member has more than one role in the band, performing on multiple instruments.[1] CDJournal reviewers likened the band to American band MGMT and Australian band Tame Impala, praising the emotional falsetto vocals of lead singer Alec.[9] In January 2015, Hello was listed in the shortlist for the top album of the year for the 2015 CD Shop Awards.[10]

Members
  • Alec (born November 16, 1993) - guitar and vocals
  • Ric (born January 4, 1994) - synthesizers and vocals
  • Chew (born October 3, 1993) - guitar and synthesizers
  • Syu (born February 28, 1994) - bass guitar and synthesizers
  • Bob (born September 11, 1992) - drums and vocals

Discography

Studio album
List of albums, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions
JPN
[11]
Hello 41

Extended plays
List of extended plays, with selected chart positions
Title Album details Peak positions
JPN
[11]
To the Next
  • Released: May 13, 2015 (JPN)
  • Label: Happy Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 31
Stone Free
  • Released: July 14, 2017 (JPN)
  • Label: Happy Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
 —

As lead artists
List of singles, with selected chart positions
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Oricon
[11]		 JPN Hot 100
[12][upper-alpha 1]
Sun[upper-alpha 2] 2014 76— Hello
"Wake Up" 82—
"Lucy" 79
"Mellow Fellow"[15] 2017 —— Stone Free
"Hey"[15] —
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Hot 100
[12][upper-alpha 1]
"Baby"
(80kidz featuring Happy)		 2015 —[upper-alpha 3] Baby EP

Promotional singles
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
JPN Hot 100
[12][upper-alpha 1]
"Magic" 2014 —[upper-alpha 4] Hello
"R.A.D.I.O." 2015 89 To the Next
"Cation" —[upper-alpha 5]
"Stone Free" 2018 — Stone Free

Notes
  1. Sources for chart positions are as follows: "Lucy",[13] "R.A.D.I.O.".[14]
  2. Two track single featuring the songs "Lift this Weight" and "Win Key Gun".
  3. Charted at number 88 on the Billboard Radio Songs subchart.[16]
  4. Charted at number 84 on the Billboard Radio Songs subchart.[17]
  5. Charted at number 95 on the Billboard Radio Songs subchart.[18]

References
  1. "HAPPY（JPN / 京都）" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  2. "Profile". Happy. Archived from the original on July 6, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  3. "破格の若手バンド、HAPPY登場「結成した時から世界一のバンドになろうと思ってやってる」". Real Sound. August 1, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  4. St. Michel, Patrick (March 18, 2014). "Japan acts rock on at this year's SXSW". The Japan Times. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  5. "Japan Nite US Tour 2014". Japan Nite from Benten Label. February 14, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  6. "【CDシングル】SUN＜タワーレコード限定＞". Tower Records. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  7. "【CDシングル】Wake Up/Lucy＜タワーレコード限定/初回生産限定盤＞". Tower Records. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  8. "80KIDZ、次回作はHAPPYとのコラボ！". Rockin' On Japan. June 30, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  9. "HAPPY / HELLO" (in Japanese). CDJournal. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  10. "「CDショップ大賞」二次ノミネートに大森靖子、林檎、しゃちほこら". Natalie (in Japanese). 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  11. "HAPPYの作品" [Happy Products]. Oricon. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  12. "Hot 100｜JAPAN Charts｜Billboard JAPAN". Billboard (in Japanese).
  13. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). August 20, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  14. "Japan Billboard Hot 100". Billboard (in Japanese). May 20, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  15. "最新インディ・シーンを平日にチェック "W.O.O Vol.4"にAttractions、HAPPY、Newspeak、Luby Sparksら出演決定" (in Japanese). OKLife. December 26, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  16. "Radio Songs". Billboard (in Japanese). September 23, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  17. "Radio Songs". Billboard (in Japanese). August 20, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  18. "Radio Songs". Billboard (in Japanese). May 27, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
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