Despite their name, Happy Abandon isn't straying from their roots.
The up-and-coming indie rock band will be performing at Local 506 tonight. The four-person band, which is comprised of UNC graduates Peter Vance (lead vocals, guitar, lyrics), Jake Waits (percussion), Alex Thompson (keyboards) and Justin Ellis (bass), will perform tracks from their newly released EP, Heavy Lines, as well as some new songs and older covers.
For tonight's opening performances Happy Abandon has pulled talent from the local area by having the groups XOXOK and Sister David perform, whose members are all UNC students. Happy Abandon will also be performing with two guests, fellow UNC graduates Nick Johnson, who plays violin, and Emily Pate, who plays flute and sings backup vocals.
“I think it’s a very strong lineup and a really great show and venue, so I think there will be a lot of energy,” Pate said.
Although the road to Happy Abandon’s formation has had its twist and turns, the band has already experienced successes within their first year.
For the band’s first performance of 2016, Happy Abandon visited Vance’s hometown of Washington, D.C. and played for a crowd of more than 200 people. The band also got to work with Grammy-nominated producer John Custer for Heavy Lines.
All members of Happy Abandon were involved in different musical and theatrical groups throughout their UNC careers such as the Marching Tar Heels, the UNC Walk-Ons, UNC Pauper Players and the larger local music scene, which has helped shaped the band into what it is today.
“All of us have theater background, which I think communicates in the music,” Vance said. “I think having that experience and understanding how important rehearsals and schedules are makes it more professional. It helped us not just be musicians but also performing artists.”
Happy Abandon’s members bring their own talent and interests to the group, which Vance said creates a unique sound.
