Haley Bonar

My name is Haley Bonar (rhymes with Daily Honor), I am a 28 year old singer/songwriter who resides in the lovely village of Minneapolis, MN. I recently wrote, recorded, and am now getting ready to release my new record Golder. Titled after the dreams I had about the record cover being shiny gold, Golder also represents me striving to become a better artist, growing with each song I write.

Since I can remember, I have been writing songs and singing. I grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and was blessed with creative parents and younger siblings who I could direct in our games, theatrics, and dances. In my senior year of high school I recorded and self released my first batch of songs on a self-titled album, my graduation gift from my parents. Beats a Ferrari, right?

Everything changed for me when I left my home state for a new adventure and landed in the metropolis of Duluth, MN. At an open stage called “Experimental Thursdays,” I brought my guitar and Farfisa organ and played a few originals and a cover of “California Dreamin’.” Little did I know that one of my musical idols, Alan Sparhawk of Low, was in the small audience. When I finished, he promptly approached me and asked me if I would open for Low on their upcoming tour. He eventually released my new album his Chairkicker’s Union label the following spring. Before I knew it, I had quit school, crammed my Honda Civic full of gear with my drummer, and was opening for Low across the country I had barely seen. I was twenty years old.

Since then, I have released 3 full length albums and several EPs, including my mostrecent EP, LeO, which is mostly instrumental, and my upcoming LP, Golder. With Golder, my band and I went into Pachyderm studio (Nirvana, PJ Harvey) in Cannon Falls, MN, knowing most of the songs in advance, but reconstructing them while in the studio with my band. The songs themselves are largely a reflection of a wonderful and lonely year spent in Portland, Oregon. I returned in July 2010, became active once again in the amazing Twin Cities music scene (including the formation of a punk/new-wave side project Gramma’s Boyfriend) and am set to get out on the road to play songs from Golder.

Golder for me, is an evolution into something brighter, heavier, and stronger.