Digital cover art. Physical release covers are rendered on a mirrored surface. The remainder of the album title is printed on the reverse side, reading "Happy Songs or Happy People".
Happy Songs for Happy People represents a further evolution of Mogwai's toned down, more electronic sound: all songs are based on electric guitars and live drums, but synthesizers are used frequently and often take the main stage on this album, with strings and piano also making the occasional appearance.
Mogwai's usual vocalist Stuart Braithwaite does not sing on this album. Instead, Barry Burns ("Hunted by a Freak", "Killing All the Flies") and John Cummings ("Boring Machines Disturbs Sleep") provide the vocals.
Release
The CD release of Happy Songs for Happy People contains a demo version of Cubase and the individual tracks for each instrument in "Hunted by a Freak" allowing remixing and reconstructing of the song.
The pre-release MP3s of the album circulating on the net had a sample of Happy Tree Friends cartoon main theme mixed in at the end of the last track.
A computer-animated video was released for the song "Hunted by a Freak", depicting a person throwing pets to their death. The band were asked if the video meant they hated animals, to which Stuart Braithwaite responded: "We love animals. You must be on crack to make such an assumption."[12]
The song "I Know You Are But What Am I?" is used as the closing of Episode 8, Season 1 of the TV show Person of Interest and also appears on The Wicker Man motion picture soundtrack. The song "Kids Will Be Skeletons" was featured in the 2015 video game Life Is Strange as well as episodes of the Netflix series After Life.
