Happyness

What’s more punk-rock than drag?

Ash Kenzari and Jon Allan discuss Happyness’ new album and how incorporating drag into the indie-rock band has changed the dynamic.

After 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 changed the band’s dynamic and why they were “chased out” of Northampton.

What have you guys been up to for the past three years?

Jon: [Laughs] Many places. We were in Northampton for a long time. Ash: We got chased out of there.

Jon: Chewed up and spat out.

Ash: Northampton men are of a certain breed.

Straight men or queer men?

Jon: That's a good question.

Ash: I didn't meet any gay men in Northampton.

Jon: You did!

Ash: Technically I didn't meet any gay men in Northampton, but... it is, erm, hard living in Northampton. Is that a fair thing to say?

Jon: There are a lot of hard men in Northampton, but whether they're gay or straight...

Ash: ...is questionable. It was interesting, the amount of rugby players who ended up sucking my dick in the back of random pubs. Jon: Was that in a pub?

Ash: Oh no, it was a house party. He almost choked me to death. If there's one way to go...

Ash, it seems like you had a good time. Jon, you seem traumatised...

Ash: [Laughs] That's the best way to describe it. That's why he writes the songs and I do the dancing.

Jon: Pretty much! Well, my ex-girlfriend was the reason why we were in Northampton. We were a bit of crew, me Ash and her.

Ash: She's also called Ash.

Jon: It made things very confusing. The funniest thing that happened in Northampton was that we were using this guy's studio for free, and we had written half of the songs on the album. We got a call one day saying, 'So, you know that studio has just been raided by a guy who is apparently owed loads of money by the guy who was letting you use it?' They took all of our gear. Like, we had spent five years of our lives getting music gear together, and it all got taken to a weird house. We had to call this guy and be like, 'Hey, so you know all of that stuff you a‰ressively stole, that doesn't belong to the guy you're trying to get back at. So, can we have it back?'

And what did he say?

Jon: He said, 'Only if you can get the guy to talk to me.' We managed to do that eventually.

I assume you got the music back?

Ash: Yeah, we got most of it back. It was kind of terrifying.

Jon: That sums up our Northampton experience. We had the best time!

Well, it doesn't sound dull in any way. There's only two of you now - how has that changed the dynamic of the group?

Jon: There's a lot less of the mindless, hive-mind bullshit.

Ash: There's less two against one, as well. Three is weird, because you get combinations ganging up. Although bizarrely, the person that left was always one of the two. Jon: It was almost never us two, because we're... how do I put it?

Ash: At the time, it didn't register. The extent to which we were kept apart as a force, friendship and creatively...

Jon: It was all very subliminal. When you're in a toxic environment, and someone is moving a little faster and always knows a little more than everyone else, then... divide and conquer. But, we're not conquered!

It feels like there should be some shade rattles in the background...

Jon: I feel like we're standing outside the library and not going in.

Ash: I don't want to read anyone for filth...

Jon: But we definitely could! Sorry, you're not getting anything really buzzy...

Well I'm making note of your facial expressions...

Jon: [Laughs] Basically it's really nice now because it's just a conversation between us two.

Ash: There's no competitiveness.

Jon: No third party shit, where you say something to one person and it gets back to the other person in a completely different way. We want to achieve something, not fall out with each other.

Thanks to you Ash, drag has now been incorporated into the group. When did you discover you had a love for drag?

Ash: Watching Drag Race lit an interest in it, for sure. It was the HERstory of the World episode. When I watched it I was like, 'What the fuck? Amazing.' It was Bob the Drag Queen, too, someone who is so confident in their abilities and clearly enjoyed doing what they were doing. 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. Drag gave me that opportunity to enact my true self. The power it brings to me and other people was when I realised how important it was, and what could be achieved from it. I saw people behave much freer. The indie scene has also become so hetero in many ways, and it needed some of that energy; to remember that power and enjoyment should be shared, rather than just watching a bunch of guys and guitars enjoying themselves. We like the music, but it feels like the ice needs to be broken at gigs, sometimes.

Jon: It's crazy how many big figures in the Indie scene are brooding, cis-het men whose excuse to show their vulnerability is music. 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. Even your most mainstream drag acts are more subversive than these super-angry rock bands. Drag is a whole million steps further down the line of breaking down the things that trap people.

Ash: It's always frustrating when someone says, 'You're just fulfilling a certain example of what femininity should be'. For me, the most important part of drag is being able to, especially in the indie world, allow women to feel more comfortable in those spaces. When I've already worn the shortest dress, the highest heels and fulfilled every expectation of what a woman should be doing, then it makes everyone feel like they can be freer and more comfortable in themselves.

How would you both describe Ash's drag persona?

Ash: Jewish princess! Drag has also helped me navigate that sense of eternal angst that Jewish people have, like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Uncut Gems. It's just a constant anxiety.

Jon: I love angsty drag, like Katya. Weirdly, I think you manifest that more out of drag...

Jon, what was your reaction to Ash bringing drag into the band?

Jon: Ash started doing drag gradually. I was there every time, and we were having so much more fun than we ever had before, and the ways that it opens up situations makes people relax, but also heightens their energy.

Have you got Jon into drag yet, Ash?

Ash: No, but it's going to happen!

Jon: You've probably been able to tell, but I'm very... I feel like I'm constantly being watched by someone. The thing that terrifies me about getting into drag is not being able to disappear. Nothing freaks me out more than not being able to escape!

Ash: Your drag would be sociopathic drag.

Jon: I'd have to put my brain in a place where I could be a complete sociopath in order to deal with that much attention. I'm not really good at anything if I can't run away.

Ash: Also, I have an ass to work with. You literally have a pancake.

Jon: I have a tapeworm. It would take a hell of a lot of padding.

Ash: Drag coincided in a weird way with me finding myself, and it changes the dynamic immediately. Jonny was always empowered by that dynamic change.

Jon: Obviously, we spend a lot of time talking about Ash getting into drag, but the amount my life changed? It was crazy, in all the best ways because that toxic bullshit gets to you.

Ash: There have been bands where x-member has come out as gay, but it hasn't necessarily changed the look or they express their sexuality, but not on stage, so it's exciting to put that out on stage. Especially in the guitar world, it happens a lot in the pop world...

Jon: You are also lucky because you are a massive extrovert, whereas people who come out in bands are introverted.

How have your followers reacted to this change?

Jon: As far as I know, overwhelmingly positive. There was one negative review, but it was before Ash properly got into drag. We did the show and Ash came out at the end dressed as an air hostess. They described it as a "poor attempt at drag." [Laughs]

Ash: [Laughs] I haven't had any comments on Instagram or YouTube. There's been some curiosity at some gigs. Someone will go, 'Why do you feel the need to do this?' But the second you explain it to them and clock that the reason they're asking that is because they want to do it themselves... The people who are curious about it or push against it, I've found that they're the people who are closeted or jealous.

Jon: And that's what you're trying to dispel every time you do it.

Ash: Drag brings those reactions and emotions to the forefront. If I go out in drag, there's always one guy that hits me on the ass and they laugh with their straight friends about it. That's a very visceral reaction. That's someone wanting t o hit me on the ass, rather than performing the most straight action. Am I making any sense?

Jon: The way you've always said it to me is, 'That guy just hit me on the ass. He did it because he really w anted to.'

Ash: He'll laugh with his friends about it like, 'Yeah! I'm such a joker!' Then they're in the toilet, I look them in the eyes and they're like...

How many times has that happened?

Ash: If I go out in drag, there will always b e one person who gets really confused about it. It's fascinating. This chef at this place we go to, he was saying all stuff like, 'If I was gay, then I'd definitely...' this and that. You don't find me going up to a girl saying, 'If I was straight...' because that is something that I don't want to do.

You've spoken about how the dynamic has changed between you both with this record, but how has incorporating drag changed the dynamic on stage?

Ash: Part of doing the drag came from a certain boredom watching people play guitars. When I go to a show, I want to see moments. I don't know what those are, but there are some bands that do create that emotional moment with just the music. We do that, but there are a lot of times where I've been standing for an hour or so, and I'm like, 'I need something else.'

Jon: We use it for high energy moments, but also for high drama.

Ash: Drag shouldn't just about how fast you can death drop - although that's definitely a part of it! The most enjoyable lip sync I ever did was to I Can't Make You Love Me with videos of Timothee Chalamet in the background. Jon: It was so emotional.

What's next for Happyness?

Ash: I've started a new night called Poppers, a gig that isn't people standing around, going home or going to the next thing at 11. It's a full night, you get there at nine-ish. There are interesting bands that have a sense of movement or who are doing something different.

And are there poppers involved?

Ash: Oh yeah. You can expect some poppers merch for Happyness in the future.