Have a Nice Life was formed in 2000 by
Dan Barrett and Tim Macuga of
Connecticut. The band's earliest demos contained sounds similar to
new wave music and the gothic rock band
The Sisters of Mercy. At first, both Barrett and Macuga played the acoustic guitar, self-distributing their home recordings on
Myspace. The band recorded their debut album
Deathconsciousness on a budget of less than $1000, losing the original master files for the recordings in the process. It initially did not receive much recognition upon its 2008 release but gained traction through discussions on online communities and
word of mouth. The band have since developed a
cult audience as a result of
Deathconsciousness' online popularity. The band followed up with the
extended play Time of Land, released as a free
download in 2010. On January 27, 2014, Have a Nice Life released their second studio album
The Unnatural World. According to
Metacritic, the album has received generally favorable reviews. In 2017, Have a Nice Life performed alongside
the Chameleons at the Strange Day Festival in
Olympia, Washington. Barrett and Macuga recruited Myke Cameron, Ian Gustafson, and Rich Otero to join their live ensemble for the performance. The group performed multiple warm-up shows in advance of the festival and ended the year with a sold out performance at Brooklyn Bazaar in
New York City. The band performed two sets at the 2019 edition of the Dutch festival
Roadburn including a performance of
Deathconsciousness in full. On November 8, 2019, Have a Nice Life released their third studio album
Sea of Worry, their first album to feature a full band. Have a Nice Life performed a surprise secret set at the 2023 edition of the
Roadburn Festival on the day before the ensemble was scheduled to perform as
Giles Corey. Have a Nice Life also performed at
Sick New World in
Las Vegas on April 27, 2024. Have a Nice Life released a cover of
Low's song "When I Go Deaf" in April 2024 in tribute to the band's co-founder and drummer Mimi Parker. The song appeared on
The Flenser's Low tribute album
Your Voice Is Not Enough. In October 2024, Have a Nice Life was featured on the song "Car Wreck" by the band
Bear Hands. Barrett was bandmates with Bear Hands bassist Val Loper in the band In Pieces before Have a Nice Life. Outside of music, Barrett runs a real estate marketing agency and Macuga is a high school English/History teacher. == Influences ==