Happy Landing, a folk pop band, started their roots in Oxford and will take the stage at Proud Larry’s March 25 at 8 p.m.
Matty Hendley, the lead singer and creator of the band, said that Happy Landing encapsulates youth and the feeling of joy.
“All the songs give a youthful energy that encapsulates the feeling of driving down the road with windows down with music playing,” Hendley said. “It’s letting go of the past and staying young.”
The name Happy Landing originated from Hendley’s grandfather’s land just outside of St. Louis, where Hendley first played music in front of people and loved the art of performance. His grandfather, who was in the military, told Hendley that anytime someone jumped out of a plane everyone yelled “hope you have a happy landing.”
His grandfather later named the land “Happy Landing” to ensure that his family would always have a happy landing when they came.
Hendley emphasized the importance of the nostalgic American feeling of childhood that he tried to mimic in the band.
Meagan Harkins, the merchandise manager for the band, knew Hendley throughout their time at the University of Mississippi.
“Becoming involved with Happy Landing was a very natural step with being friends with Matty because the band is such a large part of his life,” Harkins said. “It was really beautiful to watch it grow through friendship with him, and then also getting involved and being able to help in any way I could.”
Harkins said that Happy Landing came to her in a time where she and a lot of her friends needed the joyfulness of the songs.
“Happy Landing to me is honestly a piece of home and a piece of college and a piece of Oxford. And it came about in such an awkward time in our lives where we’re in college and we felt like we were growing up and making career decisions,” Harkins said. “At the same time it was creating this music and we’re singing and dancing to it, let us all be like your kids again.”
The process of creating Happy Landing showed Harkins that hard work must be put forth to truly follow one’s dreams.
Happy Landing started in August 2020 with Hendley, his brother and sister-in-law. By September 2020 all the current members in the band were united.
The new EP was released March 18 and showcased all the talents that the current band members bring to Happy Landing.
Keegan Lyle, one of the singers and piano player for Happy Landing, said that the relationship within the band makes Happy Landing have its unique sound.
“In every practice we’ll end up playing around with a song and creating something fun and new. This EP is a pretty good representation of that, if not a direct result of that,” Lyle said. “Individually, we each have completely different personalities that somehow mesh together really well. I think that plays out in the EP as well.”
On Friday, doors will open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Hendley said that fans are allowed to let loose during the concert and not be afraid to act like kids again.
“We hope that people in the audience go home having encountered a piece of themselves, their concerns, their passions, in our music and that it gives them a little bit of life to keep on moving forward,” Hendley said.
Proud Larry’s gave Happy Landing their first show April 9, 2021. With every show after that is performed, Happy Landing always finds their way back home to Oxford.
“Oxford is home because it’s a place of love and it’s a place where when we go back to it’s a place where people will support us,” Hendley said.
Happy Landing will also perform during the Double Decker festival in April. They will take the stage on April 23 at 11 a.m.
