Touching Base with Happy Hollows
If David Byrne had been born a hot chick, you’d get the idea of what it’s like to talk with lead singer Sarah Negahdari of Happy Hollows. I first ran into Sarah’s band back in 2009 at The Regent Theater in Downtown L.A., when the venue was little more than a concrete husk with a stage. Happy Hollows has since come out with three albums, toured across the country, and had their songs placed in television shows on ABC, The CW, various indie films, and with big name brands like Samsung.
Their latest album, Concordia, is their strongest to date, which fuses the band’s garage rock roots with its more recent synth/dance vibe. Catchy vocal melodies and hooky guitars riff over bouncy synths and deep bass. It’s an eclectic combination that lesser experienced bands could never pull off, much less spin into something that draws you in with each successive track.
Music bloggers and rock journalists at times use the term “mature” to sugar coat a weak and uninspiring effort from a notable band, but using it to describe The Hollows’ latest effort is meant as a sincere compliment (as it is neither weak nor uninspiring).
As recent studies conclude that enthusiasm is common and endurance is rare, Happy Hollows manages to retain the former while exhibiting the latter with their most recent work. And that combination often leads to positive things.
Check out the new interview below that I caught with Sarah and bandmate Charlie Mahoney after a great live performance at Westside record shop Touch Vinyl (side note from the band’s bio — Charlie was studying toward a PhD when he first met Sarah — cool to the 10th power).
Shout Note is written by someone who works in the emerging media startup scene in L.A. but who prefers to remain anonymous for now, since he likes his Google search results just the way they are (and no, he’s not rich). Though to honor the narcissistic tendencies exemplified by most current-day generations, he will admit to finding his subway selfie quite cool.
