It was the beginning of the summer of 2011 and Sterling Gavinski was entering his third year of guitar lessons at Zounds Sounds studio in Dallas. The spring term had just wrapped up at Lakehill Preparatory School and Sterling locked himself in his room for a week (literally) and composed numerous songs that would inevitably lay the foundation for what was to unfold over the next 12 months.
Wasting no time, Sterling contacted childhood friend and bass player Quinn Breitfeller and fellow Zound Sounds student and 13-year-old drummer extraordinaire Bradley Barteau. Thus began the formation of The Happy Alright.
The boys began practicing diligently and played their first gig to friends and family at the Barteau residence in July of 2011. Over the next several months, the band continued to showcase their talents to anyone who would listen. Although influenced by bands such as Green Day, Weezer, and Blink-182, the musical teen trio began to develop their own sound and style.
Although together less than four months, The Happy Alright decided to take on what was to be one of the greatest challenges of their young careers: entering the Battle of the Bands contest at the Door in Deep Ellum. The band went on to win the entire competition and a cash prize of $750.
In the spring of 2012, The Happy Alright entered the nationwide Ernie Ball’s Warped Tour Battle of the Bands competition and again took top honors. The band placed No. 1 in the pop punk category among voters and No. 5 in all genres of music category.
These days, The Happy Alright can be found sharing their talents not only at clubs and private parties around Dallas, but also at numerous charitable events and organizations. Over the past year, The Happy Alright has played for ING Kid Rocks, a non-timed, non-competitive running event to create awareness for childhood obesity, the Lamplighter car wash, where they helped raise over $6,000 to support the school land fund, Lakehill Preparatory School’s Trek for Tech, and Vogel Alcove, a childcare center that provides development social and health services to children from homeless families. The band also played over Labor Day weekend at Six Flags Over Texas.
The Happy Alright released a self-titled EP in June of 2012 which has been well received by its loyal fan base. The EP can be found on iTunes, Amazon MP3, CDBaby, Spotify, and numerous retailers in the Dallas Metroplex such as CD Source and Good Records. The boys are becoming popular on the other side of the pond as well. Fans in the UK can pick up a copy of their EP at Sister Ray records in London.
The Happy Alright band continues to entertain Dallas with their infectious sounds and bouncy rhythms. Catchy lyrics, like “I’m still in my pajamas and not at the starting line, head still in the gutter, but I’m doing, Just Fine” gets the crowd singing along to every beat.
Fans new and old can check out the Happy Alright this Saturday, September 15 at 10:00 p.m. at Poor David’s Pub in Dallas.
Tickets can be purchased through Poor David’s Pub website.
Follow The Happy Alright on Facebook.
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHappyAlright/featured