Breaking the news of their upcoming single merely days after the country was plunged into lockdown, Leeds based four-piece Mega Happy promised to offer a semblance of light amongst the darkness, at a time where the world, particularly the music industry, needs it most.
Despite forming little over a year ago, Mega Happy have gained serious traction. As well as firmly making their presence known in the local Leeds circuits, with a string of shows at the renowned Lending Room, the four-piece have ventured south, engaging audiences in both Sheffield and Nottingham. Their most recent trip to Nottingham saw them join forces with University of Nottingham and ‘Amnesty X The Mic’ residents Blondes, at their ‘Music For A Better State Of Mind’ event, which saw the bands generate over £400 for the charity Mind. With plans to take the sound of Mega Happy to London this spring unsurprisingly disrupted by Covid-19, the bands spirits haven’t been dampened: a treat is on the horizon.
Mega Happy have developed a real penchant for writing catchy indie-rock and I Sit Next To An Empty Seat furthers this. From the get-go, a captivating bass hook draws you in, before the layers of the track begin to build. The drums become the real driving force of the song, with complex high-tempo hi-hat rhythms guiding the listener from verse to verse. It is perhaps the guitar line flickering in and out between verses which strikes me as the most compelling. With such complex and intriguing rhythms being tackled throughout, the lyrics seem simple in comparison, but this works to great effect, and certainly gives the listener an all-round pleasant listening experience.
"Mega Happy have achieved what any up-and-coming band strives to achieve: a likeable, catchy, well-written track, clearly with the legs to stand up to the test of the live show."
As the song develops, the guitar lines really come into their own. Despite the introduction and reintroduction of the original riff creating a sense of warmth and familiarity amongst the listener, a sudden shift 2 minutes and 40 seconds in threatens to disrupt the track’s cohesion. However, this simply gives way to the introduction of an equally compelling guitar line, written with such maturity that you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been penned by Robert Smith himself.
The track reaches a natural conclusion with a fine crescendo of the original riff, in what will certainly sound equally as attractive at the live shows. With this track, Mega Happy have achieved what any up-and-coming band strives to achieve: a likeable, catchy, well-written track, clearly with the legs to stand up to the test of the live show. I sure hope the Leeds four-piece can make that trip back down the M1 before too long: it’s about time Nottingham saw its second Mega happy headline show.
I Sit Next To An Empty Seat is out now. Listen to it here.
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