The Happy Pill Academy

The Happy Pill Academy is from London in the United States of Britain. It is a one-person endeavor but that one person maintains a healthy relationship with the other, largely imaginary, members of the band.

Growing up in the grim and grey North of Englandshire, Matthew Guy Ibbs (sole proprietor of The Happy Pill Academy) was in two very obscure local bands and never achieved anything other than managing to escape his home town.

After moving to London to pursue a career with his band Jalopy, he had a momentary lapse of perspective and quit music. Then after a very long semi-hiatus, he started making noises again. And then a bit later he started recording them.

The Happy Pill Academy blends together strong lyrics with elements of 90s grunge infused riffs, reminiscent of Nirvana / Eels / Beck and Pearl Jam. He considers himself to be alternative rock, but everyone else keeps telling him that he is, in fact, "Lo-Fi".

Kerosene, Matches and Time

The Happy Pill Academy presents Kerosene, Matches & Time: a collection of tracks almost entirely about bitterness, betrayal, remorse, and love-gone-stale, but with a little cross-dressing and redemption thrown in for good measure.

Frontispiece Matthew Guy Ibbs describes it as, “A constant battle between the songs that I want to write, versus the songs that come out… which are usually darker, more cynical.”

The result is a series of intricately composed, gutsy songs that take on matters of the mind, with bold melodies and a fearless voice.