Guest playlist: Brooklyn’s The Happy Fits share songs of resilience that inspired their track “Another Try”

The Happy Fits

Brooklyn-trio The Happy Fits make well-crafted pop-rock with catchy choruses covering themes we can all relate to. It’s a style of music that has strongly resonated, with the band racking up some impressive numbers in the process. They’ve hit north of fifty million streams worldwide and 4 million YouTube views. Attracting a keen audience in Australia, they have already clocked up over half a million Spotify streams locally this year.

The band has just released their latest single, “Another Try”, a song that champions resilience. It recognises that sometimes things don’t go as we would hope, and that we need to accept this as being part and parcel of life’s journey. “Another Try” follows on from their 2020 sophomore album, What Could Be Better.

Frontman Calvin Langman says of the track “For the past 3 years touring and recording was the only life that we knew, and I found myself repeating the same habits, day in and day out. For a time, I tried to do things that I thought would fill some void in me that needed to feel accomplished, but if anything, it just caused me to slip back into my vices,”

The boys have put together a playlist of songs that champion resilience, so read on for their take on what can help you get through the day. It’s a fun and eclectic mix, from Dolly Parton to Alabama Shakes.  Take a read and listen on.

Cass Elliot “Make‌ ‌Your‌ ‌Own‌ ‌Kind‌ ‌of‌ ‌Music‌” ‌ ‌

Mama‌ ‌Cass‌ ‌and‌ ‌The‌ ‌Mamas‌ ‌and‌ ‌The‌ ‌Papas‌ ‌were‌ ‌some‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌biggest‌ ‌influences‌ ‌growing‌ ‌up.‌ ‌The‌ ‌line‌ ‌from‌ ‌Another‌ ‌Try‌ ‌“through‌ ‌the‌ ‌chaos‌ ‌sing‌ ‌your‌ ‌melody”‌ ‌is‌ ‌directly‌ ‌inspired‌ ‌by‌ ‌this‌ ‌eternal‌ ‌jam.‌

Brittany‌ ‌Howard‌ ‌”He Loves Me”

I‌ ‌love‌ ‌Brittany‌ ‌Howard‌ ‌and‌ ‌how‌ ‌she‌ ‌pours‌ ‌her‌ ‌heart‌ ‌and‌ ‌soul‌ ‌into‌ ‌every‌ ‌song.‌ ‌Something‌ ‌about‌ ‌singing‌ ‌how‌ ‌God‌ ‌will‌ ‌love‌ ‌us‌ ‌no‌ ‌matter‌ ‌what‌ ‌flaws‌ ‌or‌ ‌bad‌ ‌habits‌ ‌we‌ ‌partake‌ ‌in‌ ‌really‌ ‌speaks‌ ‌to‌ ‌me.‌ ‌ ‌

Fuller “Favorite‌ ‌Poison‌” ‌

I‌ ‌love‌ ‌the‌ ‌line‌ ‌in‌ ‌this‌ ‌song‌ ‌“‌You’re‌ ‌a‌ ‌bad‌ ‌habit,‌ ‌and‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌a‌ ‌bad‌ ‌boyfriend‌ ‌I’m‌ ‌a‌ ‌drug‌ ‌addict,‌ ‌you’re‌ ‌my‌ ‌favourite ‌poison”.‌ ‌While‌ ‌‘Another‌ ‌Try’‌ ‌isn’t‌ ‌calling‌ ‌out‌ ‌a‌ ‌person‌ ‌for‌ ‌being‌ ‌a‌ ‌bad‌ ‌habit,‌ ‌I‌ ‌certainly‌ ‌love‌ ‌calling‌ ‌a‌ ‌vice‌ ‌your‌ ‌favourite‌ ‌poison.‌ ‌ ‌

The Happy Fits “What‌ ‌Could‌ ‌Be‌ ‌Better‌”

This‌ ‌is‌ ‌probably‌ ‌my‌ ‌favorite‌ ‌track‌ ‌off‌ ‌of‌ ‌our‌ ‌2‌nd‌‌ ‌album‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌title.‌ ‌It‌ ‌deals‌ ‌with‌ ‌the‌ ‌same‌ ‌struggle‌ ‌that‌ ‌I‌ ‌write‌ ‌about‌ ‌in‌ ‌‘Another‌ ‌Try’‌ ‌in‌ ‌that‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌about‌ ‌seeking‌ ‌acceptance‌ ‌in‌ ‌your‌ ‌pursuing‌ ‌your‌ ‌passion.‌ ‌ ‌

Bleachers “I‌ ‌Wanna‌ ‌Get‌ ‌Better‌”

‌Whenever‌ ‌this‌ ‌chorus‌ ‌comes‌ ‌in,‌ ‌I‌ ‌always‌ ‌find‌ ‌myself‌ ‌headbanging.‌ ‌The‌ ‌message‌ ‌is‌ ‌so‌ ‌universal‌ ‌in‌ ‌that‌ ‌everyone‌ ‌is‌ ‌always‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌better‌ ‌themselves‌ ‌and‌ ‌escape‌ ‌their‌ ‌malaise.‌ ‌ ‌

The Dodos “Fools‌”

This‌ ‌song‌ ‌is‌ ‌such‌ ‌a‌ ‌banger‌ ‌from‌ ‌start‌ ‌to‌ ‌finish.‌ ‌I‌ ‌love‌ ‌how‌ ‌relentless‌ ‌the‌ ‌drums‌ ‌are‌ ‌the‌ ‌entire‌ ‌time.‌ ‌Something‌ ‌about‌ ‌the‌ ‌main‌ ‌line‌ ‌“we’re‌ ‌just‌ ‌a-wandering‌ ‌like‌ ‌fools”‌ ‌really‌ ‌describes‌ how‌ ‌I‌ ‌feel‌ ‌navigating‌ ‌through‌ ‌life‌ ‌sometimes.‌ ‌ ‌

Deal Casino “Color‌ ‌TV‌ ‌”

“I‌ ‌say‌ ‌what‌ ‌I‌ ‌mean,‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌back‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌teeth‌ ‌/‌ ‌While‌ ‌I‌ ‌sleep‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌week”‌. Sometimes‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌hard‌ ‌being‌ ‌your‌ ‌true‌ ‌self‌ ‌to‌ ‌others.‌ ‌The‌ ‌general‌ ‌depression‌ ‌Joe‌ ‌P‌ ‌writes‌ ‌about‌ ‌in‌ ‌his‌ ‌songs‌ ‌is‌ ‌something‌ ‌that‌ ‌resonates‌ ‌with‌ ‌me‌ ‌deeply.‌ ‌ ‌

Alabama Shakes “Rise‌ ‌To‌ ‌The‌ ‌Sun‌”

‌I‌ ‌love‌ ‌how‌ ‌this‌ ‌song‌ ‌has‌ ‌the‌ ‌potential‌ ‌to‌ ‌resonate‌ ‌with‌ ‌any‌ ‌listener‌ ‌that’s‌ ‌gone‌ ‌through‌ ‌the‌ ‌commonplace‌ ‌9‌ ‌to‌ ‌5.‌ ‌The‌ ‌ending‌ ‌chant‌ ‌of‌ ‌“I‌ ‌wake‌ ‌up,‌ ‌rise‌ ‌to‌ ‌the‌ ‌sun,‌ ‌I‌ ‌go‌ ‌to‌ ‌work,‌ ‌then‌ ‌I‌ ‌come‌ ‌back‌ ‌home”‌ ‌gets‌ ‌me‌ ‌so‌ ‌amped‌ ‌every‌ ‌time.‌ ‌Brittany‌ ‌ponders‌ ‌about‌ ‌getting‌ ‌off‌ ‌this‌ ‌“rock”‌ ‌as‌ ‌if‌ ‌she‌ ‌is‌ ‌tired‌ ‌and‌ ‌doesn’t‌ ‌belong‌ ‌and‌ ‌that‌ ‌is‌ ‌something‌ ‌I’ve‌ ‌felt‌ ‌all‌ ‌too‌ ‌much‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌past‌ ‌year‌ ‌and‌ ‌a‌ ‌half.‌ ‌ ‌

Dolly Parton “9‌ ‌to‌ ‌5‌” ‌

This‌ ‌song‌ ‌needs‌ ‌no‌ ‌introduction.‌ ‌Just‌ ‌a‌ ‌perfect‌ ‌song‌ ‌and‌ ‌artist.‌ ‌ ‌

Katy Perry “Firework‌”

‌As‌ ‌cheesey‌ ‌as‌ ‌some‌ ‌may‌ ‌believe‌ ‌this‌ ‌song‌ ‌is,‌ ‌it‌ ‌was‌ ‌probably‌ ‌playing‌ ‌for‌ ‌90%‌ ‌of‌ ‌my‌ ‌middle‌ ‌school‌ ‌experience‌ ‌and‌ ‌ingrained‌ ‌as‌ ‌a‌ ‌staple‌ ‌in‌ ‌my‌ ‌life.‌ ‌The‌ ‌message‌ ‌is‌ ‌beautiful‌ ‌and‌ ‌I‌ ‌don’t‌ ‌care‌ ‌what‌ ‌anyone‌ ‌else‌ ‌says.‌ ‌ ‌

Wauwatosa

“Another Try is out now.  You can follow The Happy Fits on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok

Bruce Baker

Probably riding my bike, taking photos and/or at a gig. Insta: @bruce_a_baker