Alt-rock outfit HAVVK return with their explosive new single ‘Happening Again’ via VETA Records – the first release following their acclaimed 2024 album To Fall Asleep.
Championed by The Line of Best Fit, CLASH, The Guardian, DIY, RTÉ 2FM, BBC Radio Ulster, Radio X and many more, HAVVK sent a shockwave through the alternative scene with third album To Fall Asleep, a fervent LP that transitioned seamlessly between hypnotic heavy shoegaze to blistering punk-grunge, leaving no head unturned. Now, are they returning with renewed fire with ‘Happening Again’, a single that roars with intensity and announces ‘We’re back’.
The song explores destructive patterns of behaviour, built on a cyclical structure that mirrors the emotional spiral of dread and overwhelm. Vocalist Julie Hawk says, “I really enjoyed leaning into the cyclical pattern of the song and giving it a sense of no way out. Because that’s how it can feel like sometimes, when you notice yourself acting or thinking in a way that you swore you’d never do again”.
“The verses were especially vicious and were really cathartic to write – because in these moments it’s so easy to say cruel things to yourself that you’d never say to anyone else, and to see every little thing as a reminder of how you’ve landed right back where you started”, she adds.
Guitarist Matt Harris says, “Julie and I both had different musical ideas that we stuck together for this song. We used the idea of the musical theme that starts the song coming around full circle at the end to try and capture the feeling of dread and realisation of realising you’ve done it again”
Though steeped in darkness, HAVVK are no stranger to offering unflinching commentaries on the complexities of the mind and the fight for control with grace, power and introspection.
Renowned for their riotous stage presence, HAVVK have toured extensively throughout the UK, Ireland and Germany, including their “Drawn Together” project, a 12-date UK tour which saw them team up with over 50 female and non-binary artists including Menstrual Cramps, Medicine Cabinet and Scrounge, in 2019 to promote equality in music. The band have sold out shows in Londonʼs Seabright Arms and Berlinʼs Schokoladen and Loophole, and have supported the likes of And So I Watch You From Afar and The Drums, alongside making notable appearances at The Great Escape, Liverpool Soundcity, and Ireland Music Week, as well as a TV performance on Other Voices.
Earning extensive support from tastemakers such as CLASH, XS Noize, DIY, Dan Hegarty (RTÉ 2FM) and The Line of Best Fit, HAVVKalso boast significant placements on Spotify Editorial playlists such as New Music Friday Germany, Alternative Generation, and Indie Alternative as well as Apple Musicʼs New in Rock.