Interview: Tate Logan: Vocalist of Happy
Tate Logan, the vocalist of Happy, previously announced his solo career while dropping an NFT card collection club. Recently I had the chance to chat with Tate about the digital club he organized, the start of his career as a solo artist, and everything in between.
What drew you to making the decision of using NFTs or digital cards to create a whole new kind of virtual club and community?
Tate Logan: Yeah, of course, so, like, the NFT thing was actually pretty new to me. But I was really excited because, like, I feel like with the way that technology is advancing, like, for example, when I was younger, you know, meet and greet experiences were really cool. Let's pretend, like, I was going to see a band and they would release this very, like, have you ever seen Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist?
Surprisingly, no, I haven’t.
Tate Logan: Basically, everything was very organic. When I was younger, it was like “Oh, you have to go meet this band at this coffee shop” to get the photo or you have to chase them around the city following clues and all of that. And I always thought that that sort of idea around meeting a band was so unique and so intimate because there was something very invigorating about having to solve the puzzle and do all of that stuff. And I feel like now being an artist, and being on the flip side of that, we've almost lost that sort of organic excitement in the fan base. It's like, you just buy the tickets and you show up and you take a photo and it's over.
I just feel like that doesn't create longevity in a fan and artists relationship. The idea here was like, okay, kids are so into social media, they're so into the internet. How can I make the internet a place that creates that same sort of very intimate connection with my fans? And so my idea there was, I'm going to create these digital cards. The way that NFTs have been done in the past, you just sell the digital card, and that's it, and then you just own this image, but that's not the way that I wanted to approach my VIP club.
So, if you purchase these cards, every single one of the cards comes with a different perk. Whether it's access to an unreleased song, a live performance, or a meet and greet. One of the things that I do is like I'm gonna buy you a free movie ticket. But it's all randomized, so if you buy a pack you don't know what you're gonna get, which I think is kind of cool because then that allows fans from all over the country to work together. So say if a fan in San Francisco gets two cards that are both meet and greets and a fan in Florida did not get a meet and greet card they can trade, which I think is pretty cool. So then that allows the space for everyone to not only collect these very cool digital assets, but it creates this really cool relationship between me and my fans to where we can communicate with each other in a very special and intimate way. I want my fans to know I'm not just here to write music and cash a paycheck. Like, it's so much more than that.
The thing that drew me to music was feeling valued and feeling respected and feeling important. And like there was a community that I could belong to. Being a queer artist, I feel like that there is mot a lot of, of course, there are queer artists, but I've never seen like, I'm trans, and I've never seen growing up a trans man in the punk world that I know. I never had that. And so I wanted to create a community where it's like, here's this fun thing where it can be like a VIP club, it's like, internet savvy, so it feels cool. But like, also, I'm here to tell you that here's this space where you can be queer, or not, but everybody is gonna get together and have this community where they can just be themselves and like, I am the person in control of it.
So I make sure that everyone is being accepted, everyone is being kind to each other. And, like, that is the most important thing; a space where people can be, you know, included and valued for who they are as a person. And another thing that I think is really important is a lot of times being queer sometimes in the media takes over who you are as an entire individual. And like my queerness is like this much of who I am as a human. I have aspirations. I have passions. I have talents. I have failures. I think that a bunch of other queer youth have the same things that they go through. And I just want them to know that, like, hey, being queer is cool, but I also want to shine a light on every other aspect of your personality that makes you unique and special outside of the realm of just being queer. And I think that is my biggest goal with this VIP club.
Leading on from that, how do you hope the [NFT] club can offer support and a safe haven of self-expression within the LGBTQ community?
Tate Logan: That's a really wonderful question. So a little background on myself, I grew up in the deep south, I'm from, like, the middle of South Carolina. A very small town that's very much so rooted in, I don't want to say that everyone there is small-minded because that's not true. There are people there that are accepting. But overall, I went to a high school where I was relentlessly bullied and just made fun of constantly. I felt like I could never get away from that. I felt like that is just what the whole world was like, that everyone was always going to ostracize me for the person that I am. And I quickly realized as I started touring, and I started traveling the country that that is not the case everywhere, that there are people on the other side of the country that do accept me for exactly who I am.
I realized that if I can create this space, and I'm not trying to say that I'm the first person that does that, many, many artists have the same goal that I do. And I think that's what's so beautiful about it is that I'm just trying to be another person that is accepting towards this community. But I realized that like traveling around, there are places where you are accepted, and you are loved, and you are appreciated, and it is inclusive. My goal is to create a virtual space where the kids that do live in the deep south and the kids that do live way out in the Midwest, that they feel like no one will ever understand them. It's like, if you can just connect with people that are feeling the same way you do, you will realize that you are not alone and that there are hundreds of 1000s of kids out there going through the same thing that you are.
I wish that I had that as a youth and now that I'm in my 20’s my goal is to create this community where kids that live in South Florida can talk to someone in Chicago who has maybe a more accepting family. And I just want to bring people together. I also don't want it to be just a queer community because I surround myself with people of all gender identities and all backgrounds. I believe that there are true allies out there that can really use their voices to uplift our voices. I don't want to just be a person with a queer fan base, I want to be a person that can bridge queer [and non-queer people] and make it normal and make it accepted in a way that we're all just existing in the same space, we all respect each other's lifestyles and experiences. Just because I came from somewhere that was so homophobic and so transphobic, and then I toured around and found communities that weren't that way. I was like so acceptance does exist out there. I want to just be able to hopefully be a liaison between fans all around the country to realize that they have people out there that do support them because not everyone has that where they're from.
Moving on to something a little more on the creative side of things, what was the creative process like with coming up with each collection and theme?
Tate Logan: So I have one collection, but there's like eight different cards that come along with it. A little background for me, for the last like four or five years, I've been fronting, I've been singing in a punk band. And throughout the pandemic, a lot of things sort of change for the dynamic of our bands like the two other guys that I was playing in a band with, one of them had a baby, and the other one got married. I'm so happy for them and I think that's beautiful. I think it's wonderful that that's the direction that they took their life, but I'm in my early 20s.
I want those things eventually, but right now, music is the most important thing for me, and I'm not finished going after that goal. And so what was really cool about it is a lot of times when lead singers leave their band, there's this air of arrogance, and like, “I think that I'm too good for my band”. That's not the case at all. I would have been in that band until the day I died, if that's the way that it worked out. But it's just not. And so when the guys decided to step down and take their lives in a different direction, I was like, it doesn't feel right, continuing under the moniker of this band that we created together. So I'm going to step out and do my own thing.
When I decided to do that, I realized that the message of my queerness was sort of being watered down by being in a band with a bunch of straight cis white guys, which is fine. I'm not saying that there's a problem with that. But that got kind of my queerness dissipated in that mix if that makes sense. So when I decided to do my own card collection, it was Pride Month. So the idea sort of started with wanting to do a normal LGBT card that was rainbow-inspired [and] that was very inclusive of everyone in the community. But I also wanted to do a Trans specific card because I have trans fans. And then it just kind of spiraled into this. Like, how can I include every single target audience that I want to reach? One part of me is very, very interested in horror movies, which is, like, so random from my musical background. I started a TikTok account at the beginning of the year. I was not someone that, like, really did TikTok. And in a month I got like 70,000 followers just recommending horror movies. I was like, what the hell like I'm just some guy in a band. And people care about what I have to say about scary movies. That's so weird. So I made a card specifically for horror movies.
Then I just started breaking it down. I guess, when a lot of bands approach their fans, they try to approach them in an overarching way, which, a lot of times works, but every single human is different and they all have different tastes and they all have different interests that make them individual. Instead of just kind of releasing this collection, where I was like, “Hey, I'm this cool person that makes music, buy my shit.”
Like that's just not who I am. I wanted to reach people that it's like, if you're queer, you should get this card. If you like scary movies, you should get this card. If you like books and writing, you should get this card. I wanted to play into different people's personal tastes, which was really fun when I was making the cards. Suddenly, I'm not just this human that makes music. There are multiple facets to me as an individual the same way that there are multiple facets to everyone as an individual.
That is really cool.
Tate Logan: Thank you!
How can fans purchase a card? Can you purchase one single card? Or is it like a whole collection?
Tate Logan: So you can buy cards in packs of either 10, 50 or 100. If you buy the 100 pack you automatically get all the access because I'm like, you're committing. You're spending X amount of money, and I appreciate that. I'm not trying to like pull one over on anybody. So if you buy the 100 pack, you automatically get access to anything. But let's say that you can't afford that which I understand. I’ve not been able to pay my electric bill at one point in time, you know, so like, I understand what it's like to not be able to have access to the full perks. So if you buy a 10 pack, the cards are random, which is really exciting because you might get you know, there are a few common cards which gives you access to say like, my personal like exclusive feed where I just write about whatever I'm thinking or you get access to one of the unreleased demos and stuff.
But with every 10 pack, you have the opportunity to get one of the super rare cards. So even someone that buys 100 packs might not get the card that allows you to get a bunch of free movie tickets and stuff like that. It's almost like a game. And so the more cards you purchase, the more options, or it's more likely that you have to get these [rare] cards. But that's where the trading comes in. So say that two fans buy [the] 10 packs and they have different cards, they can trade with each other to be able to access all the benefits. My goal here is to create, like, a loving community between my fans that might not even have anything to do with me. I want a kid in Rhode Island and a kid in Texas to bond over the fact that they have two different cards because I think that's really cool. So yeah, if you can buy a 10 pack it’s $10 and you're gonna get at least one cool card in there. But you might get all 10 cool cards, which I think is kind of fun. It's like collecting Pokemon, almost. But in the 21st-century style.
The first thing that came into my mind when I was hearing about everything was like, wow, this is like trading Pokemon cards which third grade me at recess under the slide.
Tate Logan: Totally, totally!
That's just taking memory from the vault. But that was the first thing that came to my mind. And I was like, oh, wow, it's a digital trading card.
Tate Logan: Yeah, I think that my favorite thing about the cards is like, so each card comes with a QR code that gives you access to these benefits. And the cool thing is, this is my first collection. Like right now I just announced that I'm a solo artist. I'm working on music. I'm working on videos, I'm doing all of this, but it's very behind the scenes right now. But eventually, it won't be. And so I can release collections as everything goes on. Say I go on tour and I release a card that gives you access to a meet and greets or a benefit, you as a fan can show up with your phone with a QR code. And I can take my phone and scan that and it gives you access. There are no third-party entities. It's just me and you having a good time, which I think is so cool. Like there's not really anything else like that happening right now. But I will say that I've seen like All Time Low, State Champs, The Front Bottoms, Halsey, Linkin Park, they're all sort of doing the same thing right now. It's funny because like, obviously, compared to those bands, I am no one, I'm a very small artist. But I want to give my fans that same excitement. Even if it's on a smaller scale, I want them to feel like they're just as cool as these people that enjoy these bigger artists. I just wanted people to feel appreciated because I do appreciate them. Without my fans, I would be nobody. So I'm incredibly grateful for the support that I have, and I want to give back to that.
That’s just so genuine and down to earth. I love that.
Tate Logan: Haha, thank you!
The only time I've ever seen something like a QR code at, like, an actual live show was with Starset and they have their whole post-apocalyptic theme. So they had this whole story thing where the first thing we got was a pamphlet and had a QR code thing. You could download the app and follow the story. So, my question is, do you think that the digital club could have a similar kind of QR interaction for live events?
Tate Logan: Yeah, totally. Another thing that's very important to me is the accessibility like I've played a lot of venues that are not accessible to you know, my fans that are disabled, or that they can't get to the front row or they can't get to the meet and greet because there's a set of stairs or like something that should absolutely be solved by now. It's 2021, everyone should be able to have access to a venue. And so I think that something cool about this as well is like if there is a fan that for some reason isn't able to make it to a show for whatever reason that if it, you know, hinders their safety or anything like that this can be a way for them to still connect with me and still see live shows and still see and be involved in the meet and greets. That sort of situation, because the thought of someone not being able to experience live music because they have a disability that they don't have control over absolutely breaks my heart. I want to be able to give that same experience to anyone and everyone. And that's definitely a layer of this as well.
Oh, for sure, accessibility in the music industry is a huge topic to like, open up. I'm gonna try not to open that can of worms, but speaking as someone who actually is disabled myself, it's really nice to hear that artists are caring about accessibility. Kind of refreshing to hear.
Tate Logan: Yeah, of course. I mean, I think it goes along with anything. So many artists are blessed with the privilege to be whether it's like, they're not a minority, or they're not queer, or they're not disabled. And so a lot of times, that stuff sort of falls on the back burner for them and they don't think about it. But the truth is, the world is very diverse and it is ignorant to assume that anyone can have access to your show. To alienate a specific set of your fans just because you don't care is ignorant to me. I mean, maybe that's like a bold statement to make, but I don't think so. I think that it should be extremely important to make sure that anyone and everyone can have the equal opportunity to have a wonderful time at your show. That's extremely important to me.
Speaking of live shows, are there any hints you can give us about where your solo direction may be taken?
Tate Logan: Yeah, of course. Let me start with this, I think that everybody grows up sort of listening to what's in their environment, whether it's what their parents are playing or what their friends are playing at a young age. And then I think that everybody sort of hits a moment where they discover the music that they love personally. That for me was pop-punk. I discovered All Time Low, My Chemical Romance, Simple Plan, that sort of world of music, and I was infatuated with it. And I think that when I started Happy, the band that I have been in for the last four or five years, that was my entire goal. I just wanted to write pop-punk music.
It was so fun. But I realized that like, okay, first of all, when I was in middle school, I was like, grossly obsessed with Lady Gaga, which is, like, hilarious now. I still think she's incredible, but I also listened to 90 surf rock when I was growing up. I really liked people like Sheryl Crow, Marcy Playground, The Wallflowers, and Third Eye Blind, and now as I'm growing like currently, I'm listening to a lot of this modern pop-punk resurgence that's sort of happening. Like MODSUN, MGK, and Little Lotus. Stuff like that. I guess I just realized, like, over the last year, I was writing so much music, and when I looked back at it, the stuff that I was most excited about and the proudest of didn't feel pop-punk at all. I was like oh no what do I do now, because the stuff that is the most exciting to me, does not fit in the box that Happy was.
I would say that the stuff that I will probably be releasing as a solo artist will absolutely be influenced by punk. I think that that's something that will always be like the foundation and the root of the stuff that I'm writing, but I just want to experiment with a larger Sonic palette. I'm influenced by pop music. I'm influenced by like, the 90s Britpop, I'm influenced by boy bands. I think that all of it is very, very cool and I think that for the first time I'm going into the studio with producers that can help me expand my Sonic palette. When I was in Happy, I was the lead singer, but I was also writing all of the music.
Like I would write all the songs, all the lyrics, everything. And then it was sort of just like a default to just be like, “Okay, cool. I wrote the song, let's add drums, bass and guitar, and it's done.” And now, there's just so much more of a world in music that is outside of that realm. Like there are synths, there are 808s, there are gang vocals, there are just things that make music more exciting without completely abandoning the instrumentation of it. And so, I've been doing a lot of co-writing. I co-wrote with this guy named Andy, who's written with Halsey and The 1975, and I'm very, very excited about that song. I think that it's going to be my first release. And I probably shouldn't even be talking about this right now. But I don't care, haha. I can't say anything else about the song. But I'm very, very excited to release that. And so I guess to summarize everything I've been saying, punk music will always be implemented, but I will not just be releasing punk songs.
That’s really cool that you are branching out into different genres per se.
Tate Logan: People are blending genres right now. Like, yeah, I mean, in the last decade, it was like, if you liked punk rock, you liked punk rock. If you liked hip hop, you liked hip hop. And I feel like now people that maybe 10 years ago would have been fans of those specific genres are starting to really genuinely appreciate like a blend. And that's what's so exciting to me is because I love pop music. I love rock music. I love hip-hop music. I love all of it and I'm excited to experiment with that blend of genres. Like I look at somebody like Yungblud, if you listen to Yungblud’s first record there's like a ska influence in there. There's a metal influence, and like not that I'm saying I want to sound like Yungblud, I just appreciate the way that he blended genres. I think that that's very cool and that's something that I'm definitely experimenting with right now.
Any advice for fans who want to use music as a platform for self-expression? And like coming to terms with their identity and such?
Tate Logan: Oh, my gosh, yes. Okay. So I think that the greatest advice that I was ever given as a musician is that there is someone out there, even if it's just one person, that needs to hear what you're saying. And that really changed my perspective. Because when I was, you know, in the beginning, the first record that my band ever released, we released it when I was 20. But a lot of that music, I had written it 15-16 years old, you know, and I wasn't writing for anyone about me. I was just telling my stories of being dumped and being cheated on. And you know, just like, all of those, of course, still, with a very, very respect for women, I've never been derogatory, like, but it's just like, um, as I got, for lack of a better term, more successful in my music, it started to become stressful, because I felt like I needed to write for an audience instead of for myself.
I was like, I need to write songs that will make other people relate and will make other people happy. And I feel like that's the moment that you hit a rut. And so the best advice I can give is to just write what's true from your heart and do the things that you are inspired to do and that you love to do. Authenticity is what reaches people and being genuine is what's going to resonate with people. And so you might write a song that you think no one else is going to understand because it's specific to you, but the truth is that the more genuine and the more honest you are, the more that it's going to relate to someone else.
I think the greatest lesson that I ever learned. My advice to anyone just writes what's true to your heart, and write what makes you feel like you are creating a catharsis in your own brain because that is what is going to relate to people. It doesn't matter what you do, or what music you make, or what art you make. You don't have to subscribe to any sort of like the cool kid club, because whatever you are doing, someone else is going to love. You just have to find that person. And I think that that's one of the coolest things about music.
It's been amazing talking with you and hearing your thoughts. I do have one more question though. Is there anything else that you'd like to mention to our readers? Whatever you want to say, just go for it!
Tate Logan: The best thing that I always want to resonate with people is that I spent a long time comparing my happiness and my success to someone else. It was like Why don't I have what they have and why am I not as good looking as them or as cool as them or as wealthy as them or like whatever. But the thing about it is like happiness and success are relative to each individual as a person. I think that the best thing that you can do for yourself is to create your own set of goals and your own set of success. You do it day by day in small increments. That's how you will feel like you're achieving something. And so, my message is to just be the most, I mean, this sounds cliche, but like, just do what makes you happy, and literally fuck everybody else. I think that it's crucial to do what makes you happy and fulfilled because as far as we know, we only get one life so why waste it trying to make somebody else happy. That's the best bit of advice that I can give.