
Since first forming in 2014, New York trio THICK have triumphed at turning the harshest truths into wildly exhilarating punk songs. On their second album Happy Now, vocalist/guitarist Nikki Sisti, vocalist/bassist Kate Black, and vocalist/drummer Shari Page deliver their most complex and confessional work yet, exploring everything from self-sabotage and insecurity to victim-blaming and destructive relationships. Raw, irreverent, and brutally honest, Happy Now ultimately offers both joyful catharsis and much-needed instruction for living well in turbulent times.
โMost of our songs lean toward optimism, even when thereโs a lot of pain in them,โ says Sisti, who refers to THICKโs output as a โliving diary.โ โItโs not about toxic positivity or trying to force yourself into happiness; itโs about recognizing that itโs okay to feel a whole spectrum of emotions, and then getting to the other side and really growing from your experiences.โ
The follow-up to 5 Years Behind (a 2020 release praised by Under the Rader as a โdazzling debut albumโฆlaced with anger, humor, killer guitar riffs, and soaring punk melodiesโ), Happy Now finds THICK working again with producer Joel Hamilton (Iggy Pop, Juiceboxxx) and recording at Studio G Brooklyn. In a profound evolution of their previous work, the 11-track album encompasses sharper arrangements and stickier hooks and a more explosive energyโan effect often achieved through the sheer force of their three voices singing in unstoppable unison.
Kicking off with a glorious bang, Happy Now opens on the frenetic urgency of โHappinessโ: a dizzying yet incisive track that sets THICKโs self-reflection to a fantastically breakneck rhythm. โThat songโs about the different ways we seek validation, and how whether you look for it externally or internally, itโs never an easy process,โ says Black. โIn the end, itโs about being more aware of where weโre trying to find happiness.โ With its brilliant back-and-forth between riotous shouting and impossibly sweet harmonies, โLoserโ arrives as a thrilling celebration of hopeless imperfection, cleverly twisting its closing lyric into an unlikely mantra (โIโll always be a loserโ). โEspecially in music, itโs so easy to feel like a loser and a fuck-up,โ says Page. โWe want people to know that itโs okay to mess up and that everyoneโs a loser sometimes. Itโs really the best way to live, instead of trying to be number-one all the time.โ And on โTell Myself,โ Happy Now slips into a wistful mood as THICK tenderly impart insight to their younger selves. โAs you get older, you sometimes look at your little-kid self and wish you could give them a hug and tell them everythingโs going to be okay,โ says Black. โItโs not about minimizing life experiences, but a reminder that youโre stronger than you think and thatโdespite what it feels like in the momentโthere is a light at the end of the tunnel.โ
True to the egalitarian spirit of the band, THICK take a highly collaborative approach to their songwriting without ever sacrificing the intimacy of their lyrics. In the writing of the heavy-hearted โDisappear,โ for instance, Sisti lifted directly from her journal in telling the story of โloving someone who gets lost in their own head, and how painful that can be.โ Meanwhile, on โHer Chapstick,โ Page opens up about a struggle in her own relationship. โIt has to do with the experience of a partner seeking external affection,โ she says. โItโs about navigating the feelings of why a partner is sharing themselves with someone else when you are right there.โ
All New York State natives, THICKโs three members first crossed paths through shows at Brooklynโs DIY/all-ages spaces and soon became a mainstay in that very scene. Since signing to Epitaph in 2018โand making their label debut with their self-titled third EP the following yearโthe band has dramatically expanded their reach and toured all over the country, including a 2021 run with punk legends Flogging Molly and Violent Femmes. But even as their fanbase grows exponentially, THICK thrive on forging an uncommonly close connection with their audience. โGetting to share our songs with new people and build community in places weโve never been before has been the most fulfilling experience for us,โ says Black. โWe want to leave everyone smiling from ear to ear and get them moving around and hopefully look up at us and say, โOh, I can do that. Iโm gonna start my own band now.โโ
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