Let's Buy Happiness

Let's Buy Happiness

Let's Buy Happiness is an indie band from Newcastle, England. The group forms around Sarah Hall on vocals, James Hall on guitar and keys, Graeme Martin on guitars, Mark Brown on bass and James King on drums.

Background

The band forms from a shared interest in North American alternative rock and begins playing local shows in Newcastle. James Hall’s older sister, Sarah Hall, joins as the front person in 2009.

Releases and recordings

Let's Buy Happiness releases the self-released No Hot Ashes, which draws local and national attention. The band also releases the singles Six Wolves, Fast Fast and Dirty Lakes. Dirty Lakes appears on Spotify’s Songs of 2011 list.

Broadcasts and live appearances

The band is invited twice to Maida Vale studios for sessions on BBC Radio 6 and BBC Radio 1. It plays Glastonbury Festival in 2010 on the John Peel Stage, alongside acts including Foals, Florence and the Machine, The xx and Mumford and Sons. The group also supports Primal Scream at Electric Brixton, and tours the UK with Frankie and the Heartstrings and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Other support slots include Idlewild, The Temper Trap, Vivian Girls, HEALTH, Sky Larkin and The Futureheads.

Style and reception

The band describes its music as “melodic soundscapes slapped on driving rhythm sections”. It is associated with indie, alternative and indie folk, and its sound is described in critical praise as having “angelic purity” in Sarah Hall’s vocals, with another comparison framing it as a female-fronted version of The Shins.

Later activity

By 2012, the band is in the studio working on new material and recording itself.