Hailing from Columbus, Indiana, acoustic indie-pop band A Healthy Alternative for Better Living released their debut EP Hafbl in August of 2018. The band’s multi-instrumental members include vocalist, bassist, guitarist, and pianist Alex Kessler, electric guitarist Isaiah Smith, and drummer, vocalist, and acoustic guitarist Nathaniel Reed. Recorded over a span of five days, Hafbl consists of five tracks, one of which is solely instrumental. A Healthy Alternative for Better Living’s music is inspired mainly by indie-rock and pop-punk influences such as Foxing, Modern Baseball, and Brave Bird. Vocalist and songwriter Alex Kessler credits Max Bemis of Say Anything as one of his main influences. “Extract” from the EP was written over a span of two months back in 2017 before the band even existed. The remaining tracks on the EP were written in spring of 2018, just after the band became official. The group has always had an appreciation for artists who write very personal and intimate lyrics. This appreciation is mirrored in the band’s own lyrics. The lyrics on Hafbl are very raw and emotive, and are a representation of Kessler’s own feelings and emotions towards specific people in his life. However, the hook featured on the song “Nettles” which is “this isn’t about you”, comes from Kessler’s initial fear of releasing the lyrics to those who they are about.

Presenting listeners with personal lyrics such as those featured on this EP make the music much more relatable and accessible. Details from Hafbl such as the drum intro in “Between the Fences” and the catchy guitar riff in “Nettles” beautifly manifest the band’s acoustic style. The EP’s third track “An Elementary Introduction To Water” grant listeners with a tranquil sound. A Healthy Alternative for Better Living recently signed with St. Louis based record company Beach Cats Records and is currently working on their second EP which they are hoping to release sometime early next year. The band hopes to write and record a full length album and eventually do some touring. With a heavy social media presence and their music available on well-known streaming sites such as Apple Music and Spotify, A Healthy Alternative for Better Living is growing more popular and gaining much more recognition. Although this is only the beginning for the band, their talent and the dedication they put into their music leads the way for a bright future for A Healthy Alternative for Better Living.