queer punk trio Grandmas House give us a sarcastic overture to the way we perceive fame.
Words: Cherry Walker | Photo: Belle Whittington
Is it truly possible to be happy all the time? In short, no… and Bristol outfit Grandmas House tell us exactly how it is with a sarcastic and biting new track Always Happy. Relaying a version of social anxiety that many of us are more than familiar with, Always Happy, lets us know that the happiness people may portray on social media may just be an act.
It is hard to find a track so blunt yet poetic in it’s message yet Grandmas House simply hit the nail on the head; they truly do “say what they want and say what they like,” as vocalist Yasmine Berndt puts it. The message is clear; there is a certain pedestal that we put bands or others on with social media, an expectation that cannot be met. Whilst Berndt sings “I am always happy,” it is clearly an ironic bark at these perceptions.
Grandmas House are everything post-punk should be; raucous guitars, heavy bass lines and thundering drums behind vocals that bite back at those that try to bite first. We are reminded with Always Happy that the things we see on social media are “not daily life but the best parts,” as the band put it; during times when social media seems to be all we have, this is the stark reminder that we all need.
Always Happy was written during the first UK lockdown, thematically bringing to life just about all of the feelings buzzing around during the pandemic. It’s out now on Brace Yourself Records alongside a cassette featuring second track Small Talk – buy it here via Bandcamp. Find the band on Spotify here.
hardofhearingmagazine.com 