Happy Pills is a Polish band that plays alternative rock influenced by acts like Pixies, Sonic Youth, and Weezer.
The band released eight albums, all well-received by fans, although they didn’t achieve significant commercial success. Their album Smile was distributed in the USA and featured on local radio stations.
Happy Pills was formed in 1993 in Swarzędz near Poznań.
The band disbanded in 2001 after an unsuccessful trip to the USA in September (the plane carrying the musicians to concerts was diverted due to the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center). After the breakup, Mariusz Szypura founded Silver Rocket, Jacek Kąkolewski pursued a career in radio, and Agnieszka Morawska moved permanently to the USA.
In 2006, a compilation summarizing the band’s activity titled 17 Songs was released. Former band members (except Morawska) formed an ephemeral group called Dixies, performing Pixies covers every time one of the musicians had a birthday.
In January 2009, Happy Pills returned with the lineup:
- Natalia Fiedorczuk – vocals
- Mariusz Szypura – guitar
- Krzysztof Kochanowski – guitar, vocals
- Sławomir Mizerkiewicz – guitar
- Jacek Kąkolewski – bass guitar
- Piotr Kończal – drums.
The band performed at the Offensywa De Luxe concert at the Agnieszka Osiecka Studio. In the spring of 2010, another album titled Retrosexual was released.
After an almost 13-year hiatus, the band returned with both a new voice, Peter J Birch, and a new studio album titled “Something Idefinitely Good”. This exceptional work was recorded, among other places, at the renowned Abbey Road Studios in London.
This album not only continues the band’s characteristic style but also introduces greater diversity of inspirations and references. It’s another step in the evolution of Happy Pills’ sound, bringing new sounds and a fresh approach to music creation. “Something Idefinitely Good” is an excellent example of the band’s artistic development, confirming that Happy Pills can still surprise with their creativity, remaining faithful to their roots while exploring new musical horizons.
Discography
1997 – Soft
1998 – Lo-Fi
2000 – Happy Pills meet Schneider
2001 – Smile
2006 – 17 Songs
2010 – Retrosexual
2016 – Happy Pills EP
2023 – Something Indefinitely Good