haale

Haale, Mike Gamble, and Matt Kilmer create a unique sound, inspired by Persian Sufi musical traditions and psychedelic rock. In Jan 2007, they released two EPs, entitled Morning and Paratrooper, which immediately got the attention of David Byrne (who then invited the band to play Carnegie Hall, at an event he curated in Feb), as well as the attention of Flavorpill, CMJ, the NY Times and the Washington Post, the latter of which declared Haale "a star on the rise."

The band has also have been invited to play the BONNAROO Music Festival (2007), and will be touring through the Spring leading up to that. In March, leading up to their SXSW shows, the band had the special honor of playing Preservation Jazz Hall in New Orleans, with four of the members of the band sitting in with them during the last song of the set. "That was one of the deepest musical experiences I've ever had, " Haale recalls, "that room is steeped in spirit, the floor is hollow, so the whole room resonates... it was a mystical experience. The audience was dancing and freaking out, and we were in the zone."

As Haale says of her inspiration, “I grew up with Hendrix in one ear and Hayedeh [Persian singer] in the other. I grew up hearing the musical traditions mixing, the languages mixing, sonically and even visually, it was all a big collage.” Haale's music emerges from this early sonic landscape.
"In Sufi tradition, music is a tool for ushering listeners into a transcendent state, for turning them on, awakening their souls, propelling them into an ecstatic state....I think great psychedelic rock does this as well....There's definitely a kinship in a level of energy and fire that's in these two genres and in where that can take the listener...That's what I am interested in...I like to get myself and my audience into a hypnotic state when I play...."

Haale has performed at venues such as Bowery Ballroom, Joe’s Pub, Symphony Space, Carnegie Hall, Mass MOCA, Temple Bar, Pianos, Club Helsinki, Elbo Room, Mercury Lounge, Levitt Pavilion, Joshua Tree Music Festival, Earthdance, Lincoln Center Out of Doors Festival, Dartmouth's Hop Center, and National Geographic Headquarter.

PRESS

"Three percussionists provided driving rhythms...over which Haale's warm, supple voice unfurled like a curlicue of smoke. Her band's amplified rumble served as a reminder of the extent to which rock bands like the Doors and the Velvet Underground turned to the East for their hypnotic efforts; here their borrowings were reclaimed with interest." NEW YORK TIMES

'Totally original songs.' CMJ

"On her two latest EP releases, 'Paratrooper' and 'Morning' (both self-releasd), [Haale] works a panoramic blend of luscious rock, heady bass, and brilliantly produced rhythms." POPMATTERS

'[Haale's] earnest blends of electric guitar, thoughtful lyrics, and vocal gymnastics borrow from both ancient song and the poetry of Persia. The surprise chestnut at the heart of the music is the dynamic, fiery delivery of Haale herself, whose voice is by turns deep and commanding, feather-light and breezy, and as rich and sensual as dark-chocolate fondue.' FLAVORPILL (MUSIC PICK: LA on 1/5/07, SF on 1/12/07)

"[Along with Sigur Ros and Gigi], Haale is one of 15 artists sure to make big waves in the future ....This genre-bending seamstress will make you see stars
while ascending to her own." GLOBAL RHYTHM

"Haale...A mixture of experimental downtown stuff with the vocal intensity of U2, but more intimate." DAVID BYRNE, http:// journal.davidbyrne.com/ April 7,06

'[Haale] draws from both the American rock lexicon and Sufi mysticism...She sings in Persian and English, quotes Iranian poets like Rumi and can shred on guitar.' SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE

'Three shows, three different configurations of musicians, three spectacular musical experiences of psychedelic Persian magic. Haale’s at least three steps to the left of almost everything else you’ve ever heard, but she’s so dead-on it you probably won’t notice. I suspect 2007 will be Haale’s year.
METROLAND BEST OF 2006

"A combination of Jim Morrison, Nico, Edith Piaf, and Selma Hayek...Haale's voice was playful, sultry, and nuanced; she could wail over the din as well as
coax a melody out of her breath... The 90-minute set seemed to pass in a blink." METROLAND