Happy Hollows go their own way for EP release

Kevin Bronson on
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In the music industry of not too many years ago, the Happy Hollows — the Pixies-ish L.A. three-piece with the pixie-ish frontwoman, Sarah Negahdari — would have been snapped up by some indie label. But after about two-years of buzz-building and minor flirtations with a couple of labels, the band is going its own way. Its first proper EP, “Imaginary,” will come out Oct. 21 on Heart, a new imprint launched by the band’s young manager, Joshua Fisher.

The label will have physical (Revolver) and digital (IODA) distribution, but for this first EP — a teaser for the Hollows’ full-length album — Fisher will make use of a music-sharing widget the details of which the band will announce soon. The device will allow fans to sample all the tracks on the EP and download it for free if they forward the widget to five friends. It also allows fans to download the EP on a pay-what-you-want basis. “Imaginary” will also be available in the usual digital places too.

“The idea at the beginning, of course, is to get the music out to as many people as possible,” Fisher says.

Says Negahdari: “It’s both scary and exciting that you can get people to work your album independently, with having to go through established labels anymore. It’s too hard to wait for labels to give you an artist-friendly deal, because they’re struggling too.”

The full-length album, produced David Newton (great interview just posted with Newton here), will be released in February.

Band photo by Simon Cardoza