Artist to Watch - Haale

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Haale performed at David Byrne's Nonesuch-sponsored series at Carnegie Hall, recorded with Sean Lennon (on ‘Before the Skies’), and has worked with producer Dougie Bowne (Cibo Matto, Chris Whitley, Cassandra Wilson). In 2007, she dazzled audiences at SXSW, the Bonnaroo Festival, the Mimi Festival in France, and shared the stage with such diverse artists as Hugh Masakela and Odetta. David Byrne calls her
"A mixture of experimental downtown stuff with the vocal intensity of U2, but more intimate," and Popmatters calls her last two releases "a panoramic blend of luscious rock, heady bass, and brilliantly produced rhythms."

Haale - No Ceiling



We live in a time of been there, done that cynicism, when nothing impresses us, and artists try too hard to be original, or at the very least come up with something everybody will like. Haale, whose new album is fresh and startlingly original, doesn’t have to buy into any of that. She doesn’t need to invent some esoteric hybrid or fashion a style. She simply plays the kind of music that reflects who she is. Haale (as in halle-lujah), is a downtown New Yorker of Iranian descent whose name means ‘the halo around the moon.’ On her breathtaking full-length debut, No Ceiling, she draws on that heritage freely, but filters it through a contemporary prism.

That is, she extracts the Persian influence of her bloodline and the Sufi trance tradition, while weaving in her fondness for Hendrix, Dylan, Radiohead, and psychedelia. No Ceiling synthesizes the diverse elements of Haale’s personality into a single, impressive approach. To a great degree, Haale credits the downtown New York scene for fostering her innovative spirit.

“The scene still has a kind of courage,” she says. “There’s an atmosphere of permissiveness to explore and push boundaries, which was helpful to me. So then it became a matter of authentically trying to express something. There are so many rock bands with a conventional sound, which I often love. But not everyone needs to communicate that way.”

In fact, Haale has learned to express herself in very different ways, which are apparent on No Ceiling.

“I have this beautiful music, history and mystical poetry to dig into,” she admits, describing her Persian descent. “I felt there was a connection between the psychedelic rock music I was listening to and the Sufi music and poetry I was getting into."

The synthesis is convincing. Songs on "No Ceiling," like the opening “Middle of Fire” and “Off Duty Fortune Teller” are intensely atmospheric. Haale delivers her vocals in both English and Persian with passion. You don’t have to understand Persian to feel the heartbreak in “Mast” or the fire in “Ay Dar Shekastah.”

Add to that her impressive guitar playing and her, well, striking image, and you have the complete package: artist, woman, entertainer, visionary. She released two mesmerizing EPs in 2007 — Morning and Paratrooper— and has been performing across the country and in Europe. In fact, she lives to hit the road, and really came into her own when called upon to gig frequently.
“I love to write or be out playing shows. That’s when I’m highest,” she says. “Either I’m working on stuff or I’m thinking. It’s much better for me to channel my energy into art. I’m an obsessive person. I don’t mind obsessing on art.”

Which she does. As a performer, guitarist, singer, and multi-national artist, she puts in countless hours refining her art, herself, and her sound.

“There’s no doubt that you become closer to who you really are as an artist the more time you put in. I’ve definitely become better at what I do over time. Some people will ask me why I’m always working, and I’m like, ‘Working? What do you mean?’ I just like to play music and try to bring out the beauty of both cultures, then find a way for them to meet harmoniously.”

"A New Yorker of Iranian descent whose exotic voice builds a bridge between Sufi music and psychedelic rock...trippy stuff." - PASTE

"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

“[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

"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 ascoax a melody out of her breath... The 90-minute set seemed to pass in a blink." - METROLAND

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Label: Channel A Music