The Happy Fits Sign To AWAL, Premiere Video For 'Hold Me Down'

The Happy Fits have premiered a video for their raucous single "Hold Me Down" today via FLOOD and announce they have signed with AWAL. The track is featured on the band's acclaimed sophomore album, What Could Be Better, out now. Watch + share "Hold Me Down" via YouTube.

The video, which serves as a call to action to support NIVA and #SaveOurStages, features a Battle of the Bands, with some of New Jersey's hottest acts, filmed at Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Viewer can vote for their favorite act.

Discussing the video, the band stated, "Since this pandemic has been crushing the live music industry, we wanted to create a video that benefited local venues. One of our first live shows as a band was a Battle of the Band's competition in Asbury Park back in early 2017, so we decided to team up with the folks at Asbury Lanes, to both recreate a dramatized version of that experience, and promote the local music scene that is close to our hearts. We hope it encourages people to donate to their local venues if they are struggling to keep the music scene alive for after the pandemic."

Along with supporting independent venues, the guys could not be more thrilled to announce signing with AWAL stating, "Since the foundation of The Happy Fits, we have proudly been an independent and self-sufficient band all thanks to the fans that support us. This is why we are excited to announce that we have teamed up with AWAL, a company that understands and holds the value of independence for all of their artists. We are very excited to work with them while continuing to stay true to ourselves."

The Happy Fits started as a casual summer project for longtime friends, cellist Calvin Langman, guitarist Ross Monteith and drummer Luke Davis, before starting college. After their debut EP took off on Spotify during their first semester, they dropped out to record their 2018 full-length Concentrate. The band brought their joyous live shows across the country on multiple headlining tours, as well as supporting acts like This Wild Life and the Frights. And even now, with the shutdown, they're regularly livestreaming performances, maintaining the camaraderie that's earned them a particularly engaged fanbase.

The band's upbeat nature comes from a desire to connect with a world that's sometimes distant. What Could Be Better's title track was inspired by Calvin's isolation as one of the few Asian-Americans in his hometown. As the band's stages get bigger, he knows he's becoming the role model he didn't have, saying, "It feels really good to be someone that Filipino kids growing up in America could look up to."

"What Could Be Better is a collection of songs written from the time I dropped out of school in 2017 to where I am now in early 2020," Calvin continues. "It explores my trials and tribulations transitioning from being an obedient, structured student in school to becoming an independent, young adult. I documented the new stresses and responsibilities I faced in my daily life as the veil of my sheltered upbringing was lifted."

In a time where positivity is hard to come by, What Could Be Better, breaks through as a ray of sunshine; a mission statement that's meant to be shared.

Watch the video here:

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