T.J. Armand Releases 'Happy Hour Blues – Volume 2 (Demo Sessions)'

Writer, composer, and producer T.J. Armand has announced the release of Happy Hour Blues – Volume 2 (Demo Sessions), the latest chapter in his three-volume recording project exploring queer life, immigration, and identity through the lens of New York City nightlife.

Happy Hour Blues is a multidisciplinary project anchored by a developing musical that follows Adam, a queer immigrant navigating love, exile, and belonging inside a country-themed gay bar in Hell's Kitchen. Conceived during the isolation and cultural upheaval of the pandemic, the project introduces a vivid ensemble of characters shaped by longing, survival, and chosen family — including the bar's sharp-witted female bartender, a role Armand is developing with Tony Award nominee Mary Bridget Davies in mind, known for her electrifying portrayal of Janis Joplin.

With the release of Volume 2, Armand expands the sonic and emotional scope of the project, further defining its Blues Rock, Roots, and Americana direction while deepening the world introduced in Volume 1.

The Happy Hour Blues project was conceived in Astoria, where Armand wrote during the height of the pandemic. What began as private late-night notes and lyrical sketches evolved into a larger narrative shaped by Armand's interest in blending queer life with country-esque storytelling. The material naturally gravitated toward the raw emotional language of Blues Rock, Roots, and Americana.

The companion book, Happy Hour Blues: Lyrics, Notes & Reflections, contains more than fifty lyrics, notes, and reflections that outline the world of Adam and the bar's community. Core themes include: queer life and nightlife culture, immigration and self-reinvention, exile and the search for home, chosen family, New York City as both refuge and pressure cooker

The book is complemented by street photography from Astoria and Manhattan, grounding the project in the visual textures of the city that shaped it.

The recording project unfolds as a three-volume series of demo sessions that chart the evolution of Happy Hour Blues:

Volume 1 introduced the project's musical and lyrical foundation, featuring early demos created with the assistance of AI as part of the development process.

Volume 2, released today, builds on that foundation, expanding the emotional palette and further defining the project's Blues Rock / Roots identity.

Volume 3 will follow in Spring 2026, completing the demo-session trilogy.

Together, the albums and book form the first complete expression of the Happy Hour Blues universe — a world that will continue to evolve as the musical develops around Adam's journey.

Listen to Volume 2 here.