Punkrock | Paris
Penny Was Right from Paris deliver an energetic and unpretentious music at the crossroads of Californian punk rock and pop rock, especially with Dalia’s voice, which sometimes reminds us of P!nk. Influenced by the icons of the movement (Blink 182, Sum41, Billy Talent), Penny Was Right is also inspired by other bands such as Rise Against, Alter Bridge, The Distillers or even Bring Me the Horizon.
After two EP’s and their 2018 debut album, the band has been working on a new studio album since the beginning of 2021 that will live up to their artistic standards. Pretty good timing, as 2020 and 2021 was – as for almost everyone – a time without live performances.
Despite their fine sense of humour and fun in (band) life, which the musicians sometimes also live out on their social media channels, the band should by no means be reduced to that. On the new album “Happy Machine”, the lyrics written and impressively performed by singer Dalia sometimes deal with quite dark and personal topics, such as painful relationships, suicidal thoughts, despair, unfairness and the concept of legacy: all the things that leave traces in our lives and make us the people we are. Ten tracks whose lyrics are full of double meanings. Even though they contain many personal influences, they can be interpreted differently depending on one’s own experience. They deal with deeper issues such as depression, the search for one’s place in society, the clichés conveyed by social networks or the difficulties caused by the absence of a father.
At the same time, however, there are other songs that are full of love, hope and a strong desire to fight against these demons, and so Penny Was Right decided to name the new album “Happy Machine” after one of the songs, because it combines the darkness and burden that the Machine carries with the hope for a better future.
It’s a more mature production that Penny Was Right present us here: A raw, less watered down punk rock that moves away from the youthful energy of their first works. Penny Was Right retain their original touch, in that the album emphasises a solid and catchy rhythm, but at the same time unfolds new nuances and intelligent structures. Of course, Dalia’s voice plays a central role in Penny Was Right’s music, taking us by the hand and leading us on their rock adventures.
“Happy Machine” will be released on 10 December 2021 by Upstartz Records (LP/CD/Digital) and distributed via Sounds of Subterrania.
Booking/contact:
pennywasright@gmail.com (Frankreich / International)
alex@upstartzrecords.net (Deutschland)
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About
Created in 2013 by Dalia Al Shahawi, Penny Was Right is a punk rock quintet from Paris composed of Caradec Rio & Loïc Perrin on guitar, Clément Schepens on bass and Alexis Labro on drums.
The band delivers an energetic and unpretentious music at the crossroads of Californian punk rock and pop rock, especially with Dalia’s voice, which sometimes reminds us of P!nk. Influenced by the icons of the movement (Blink 182, Sum41, Billy Talent), Penny Was Right is also inspired by other bands such as Rise Against, Alter Bridge, The Distillers or even Bring Me the Horizon.
Penny Was Right first released a self-titled debut EP in 2013 and the single ”Zebra Style Losers” in 2015. The band then released the EP ”We Were Kids” in 2016 and opened for bands like Wheatus, Courage My Love, FatLiners and Bad Cop/Bad Cop on Parisian stages.
In 2018, the band released their very first album, „Dumb & Wild“ recorded in Italy. This was followed by numerous dates in France but especially abroad with tours in Belgium, England and Eastern Europe.
At the end of 2019, Penny was right changed their line-up and welcomed their new drummer Alexis. The band then decided to work on an album, which would be more in line with their artistic expectations. A rather good timing, as 2020 turned out to be a year without live performances for the band – as for everyone else. The band returned to the studio in early 2021 to record Happy Machine, released on December 10th, 2021.
