Rockers Oswald Slain have dropped their debut single, the interestingly titled, ‘Happiness Is Overrated’. The band teamed up with producer and fellow band member Ryan Rogers, to produce the track in their DIY studio built in their back garden. Mastered by Jason Mitchell at Loud Mastering (PJ Harvey, XTC, Big Special), ‘Happiness Is Overrated’ is a song that pushes back against the pressures of being happy.
Reflecting on the single, vocalist and lyricist Charlie Fitzgerald says:
“Happiness Is Overrated is a rise above misery and a rebellion against the pressures of being ‘happy’. The song came out of a pretty low point in my life: Final lock down, locked up at home. Everything had kinda fallen apart in my musical world and we were just drinking corner shop wine and trying to keep morale up. I had been listening to Bob Dylan’s ‘115th Dream’ on repeat and loved the story-telling aspect of the lyricism, so enjoying writing something with lots of words and more of a storyline.”
“The lyrics sat on my computer for a few years and never really got used until one rainy day in January 2024, they found a final resting place in this big, sad, bar-crawl of a tune. The band loved the juxtaposition between the melancholy theme, and the upbeat swagger in the music, and it became the perfect introductory track to our new chapter as Oswald Slain.”
A slice of Americana with a British twist dominated by Fitzgeralds booming swagger, the rolling backing, and one of this year’s best choruses. Oswald Slain have introduced themselves exceptionally well with this debut track.
Check it out, here
Find out more via the bands Facebook
1 comment