The Happy Fits’ third full-length is a massive leap forward for the New Jersey trio, who have already built a serious following with their energetic and electrifying pop-rock style. At once a showcase of rock-solid songcraft and gleeful experimentation, Under the Shade of Green is a deceptively bright opus that also zooms in on the anxieties and catastrophes of daily life while never losing its irresistibly hooky attitude.
Under the Shade of Green is the latest chapter in The Happy Fits’ impressive rise, dating back to their bonding in high school in 2012. Cellist Calvin Langman and guitarist Ross Monteith started playing covers together in earnest, and when Langman revealed some original songs he’d been working on, drummer Luke Davis came aboard to join in a creative genesis that would result in the Awfully Apeelin’ EP from 2016.
From the punchy “Dance Alone” to the serpentine riffs of “Do Your Worst,” Under the Shade of Green finds The Happy Fits unloading earworm after earworm—even as darkness looms, as suggested by the album’s cover of a pineapple covered in flaming money. “It’s a metaphor for what we are all seeing and not talking about enough,” Langman says, reflecting on the album’s overall arc. If these songs don’t make you feel alive—well, you might just want to check your pulse.
Acclaimed by Alternative Press as “reinventing indie rock”, late night drive home are bringing their roots of growing up in a small town outside of El Paso around the world.
Starting in 2019, singer Andre Portillo and guitarist Juan “Ockz” Vargas learned how to play their instruments while simultaneously learning how to produce music. When 2020 hit, the two best friends spent their time together uploading their work on SoundCloud. As they started to gain momentum online, Ockz recruited his cousin Freddy Baca on the bass (who learned how to play the bass in order to join the band) and their long time friend, Brian Dolan on drums. On one fateful day in 2021, they released their hit song “Stress Relief” on all streaming platforms, their lives were forever changed.
“Stress Relief” accumulated over 100M streams across all platforms, which resulted in late night drive home signing a record deal with Epitaph Records. Now, gearing up to release their debut EP “i’ll remember you for the same feeling you gave me as i slept” off the tails of a successful sold out headline tour, late night drive home are stopping at nothing, while also remembering their roots and growing up in rural america; just being able to create art for them is enough
