SC pop-punkers Happy are gearing up to released their debut�"Cult Classic" on September 7th and to celebrate we asked them to tell us about the lead single "I Call Shotgun". Here is the story:
I Call Shotgun is definitely a stand out track on the record because of how it came together. We were working on a very fun, upbeat, whimsical song, and wanted to write lyrics that carried that same level of enthusiasm. Tate had written some lyrics when he was 15 and in high school and wanted to revisit them to give a genuine experience in that mindset. We decided to rework the melody of the old song to fit the new song. It just clicked. The counting in the song's chorus "1 day at a time is how I'll take it, 2 songs til you get to my house, 3 cigarettes away from a breakup" etc really resonated with us after adding the gang vocals especially. We just loved the way it sounded as a whole and it just seemed right.
We honestly have no set way or formula that follow to write music. Sometimes a song comes together and is finished in 15 minutes, and sometimes a song grows and changes over the course of several years. Sometimes we write lyrics first, and sometimes we write the music first. It's almost always different but as long as we are excited about something and it feels refreshing, we will go for it.
Tracking this song in the studio was very fun because we ended up doing a dual-harmonized guitar solo during the time signature change. This was new territory for us, and we are glad we decided to step out of the box and risk it, because we are very happy with how it turned out. It makes us excited to experiment when our gut tells us to in the future. The drum intro is also one of our favorite intros on the record. It is a blast to play live.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!
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