HAPPYNESS.

fter being “chewed up and spat out”, almost “choked to death” and robbed of their music (literally) during their two-year stint in Northampton, Happyness made a triumphant return to the industry earlier this year with their third studio album, Floatr. Since the release of their sophomore album, the indie-rock band has been through a few… changes. First of all, the trio have become a duo and drummer, Ash Kenzari, has transformed into a self-described “Jewish princess” slash mothertucking drag queen. “There was always a side of me that was unable to explore my femininity, or going out and not being able to move like I wanted to because of what was expected of guys - even gay people as well,” Ash tells us, shortly after using a teeth whitening kit in the middle of a London pub (to zero effect). “Drag gave me that opportunity to enact my true self.” Jon Allan, the band’s lead guitarist and vocalist, adds: “If you distill punk down to its founding ethos, it's not about being an angry cunt. It's about subverting the norm, and drag does that more effectively than most punk bands do.” Pre-lockdown, we caught up with Ash and Jon to discuss their new album, how drag has